Monday, December 1, 2014

Four Poems of the Week

In the many, many wonderful poems we all read, there are sometimes poems that stand out above the rest, that make us pause and say to ourselves, "This is what poetry is all about!" Recently I came across four such poems and decided, instead of featuring only one Poem of the Week, to offer all four, for your delectation. The first is by Sumana Roy, who writes at Vision









When little hands pick food crumbs
Cities bellow fire and wrath
Death promises a visit to all homes
The busy Swans’ shenanigans
Petrify all sobbing Ledas*

We see old peasants till lands
Youths drown in their beloved’s eye
Life dances out of dark wombs
White shroud begins to melt
Crocuses smile all over

  

[*Leda and the Swan is a story and subject in art from Greek mythology in which the god Zeus, in the form of a swan, seduces or rapes Leda. Wikipedia]


I was struck by the image of children picking crumbs from rocks, as that brings the reality of war up close. It is an image that has remained in my mind. Thank you, Sumana, for this gift of a poem, and for helping us "see" more clearly.

The next offering is by Joshua Sutherland Allen, who writes at Lives Remembered. His sonnet about his lost daughter really touched my heart. His poem to his wife, about her death, is equally beautiful. Do check out  A Sonnet to My Wife, the Mother of My Child, if you haven't yet read it. 






First rain, then sleet, then lightly sweeping snow,
Swift falling wintry mix that chills the air
And frosts the muddy autumn ground below,


Call to our minds a girl, whose locks of hair,
Both black and beautiful against her face,
Frame sweet eyes closed in some eternal prayer.


A blizzard marked her birth; the holy space
Of hospital room, windows etched with frost,
Was where we held our love and felt her grace.


The snow still brings to us the girl we lost,
Somehow connects us to her once again –
Our spirits meet when earth with snow is glossed.


When winter sun sets shimmering ice aglow
We smile, and say that Harper says hello.

Thank you, Joshua, for sharing your loss with such love and beauty.  Your poem touches our hearts. I can see that beautiful girl, and see her smile when Harper says hello.

Our next poem, shimmering with beautiful imagery, was written recently by Bjorn Rudberg, whose work is found at Bjorn Rudbergs Writings. Poets were to write their Manifestos, for dVerse, and Bjorn's really sings!





This is a world where only in the shadows
there is light,
where only in the darkness you can see the beacons

guiding us towards a future
where dawn can outshine
the pirate’s lighthouse leading us astray.

It is a world where even winds
will tell you lies,
and the verdant spring of hope
is spray-painted on your retina.

My sight is set into the shadow-plays of misery
that trig impulses in my brain,
and electrified synapses lead my fingertips,
to dance tarantella on laptop’s keyboard.

I will let my words on stumbling meter
penetrate computer clouds.
I will let them spread like mycorrhiza -
invisible – yet domineering,
feeding on the dung beneath,
and send forth my mushrooms
into the lying daydreams of this world.
I will sing in voice of reason.
I will be the helmsman in a stormy sea
who finds the truthful light among the
will-o’-the-wisps that leads into the shadows
and even deeper into ignorance and death.
I will let truthful paths guide my fingers
from wrath to reason.
I will never let my writing cease
I will let it flow and overflow the lies
that lead our ship to moor on hostile reefs.
I will survive
Yes, never let your writing cease, Bjorn. Keep finding that "truthful light" and sharing it with us! 

When I read Gabriella's poem, How to Keep Sane, posted for Poetry Jam, I had to ask her if I might include it. As we enter the busiest time of year, we might need to take her good advice. You will know this poet from Gabriella's Writing Corner, and her active participation on-line.


First switch the tv off
turn away from social media
forget hatred and violence
all useless cacophony 

Phone a friend, relative
share a meal or coffee
visit a new museum
browse in a bookstore

Don a warm sweater 
do not forget the gloves
go outside, breathe in
observe deer and squirrels

Take your brushes and paints
get your camera out
look and listen to the world
pour your heart into your art.

I think this is really how we do keep sane, given the bombardment of bad news we hear during every news report. 

Thank you, Sumana, Joshua, Bjorn, and Gabriella, for sharing your work with us, and for your on-going participation and support of Poets United.
I hope you enjoyed these selections, my friends. Do come back to see who we talk to next. Who knows? It might be you!

27 comments:

  1. Wonderful selections, Sherry! Inspiring poetry! Thanks to all x

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  2. I'll come back when I have more energy, friend poet. This looks like such a fine group of power poems! I've been in a fibromyalgia flair up, and haven''t been able to sit here long enough to read yesterday's Pantry yet! But I will, and all will be well, all manner of things will be well.

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    1. Oh I hear you, my fibro-friend. Flare-ups are no fun - other than the excuse to lie down covered in fleecy blankets and watch movies! Take care and get well.

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  3. Thank you so much Sherry for featuring my poem along those of poets I appreciate and respect.

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    1. My pleasure, Gabriella. I am sure your poem speaks to all of us.

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  4. Thank you..such fine poets to share my space with.. and I think I had read them all before.. and they have lingered in my head fore sure... I wrote my piece on a business trip.. which felt weird...

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    1. I so love your manifesto, Bjorn! Fantastic to have written it on a business trip. That is really cool!

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  5. Sherry, you have the gift of spotting the most amazing poems! Sumana, you do help us see a different perspective. Joshua, your poem makes us feel... Bjorn, that is one powerful manifesto. Gabriella, we could all profit from taking your words to heart. Nice feature this week, Sherry....thank you.

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    1. You are welcome, my friend......each week we come across so many AMAZING poems, I could easily feature ten a week........but next week, we have another interview - the wonderful Donna Donnabella, who gives us the inside scoop on her wonderful name! And some GORGEOUS views of her natural garden.

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    2. Thank you Mary .. sometime pent up anger helps.

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  6. Thank you so much Sherry for featuring this poem of mine with the works of some of my favorite poets of blogosphere...

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    1. Twas my pleasure, Sumana! The image of those children picking crumbs from the ground has stayed with me.

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  7. wonderful poems each! Thank you for the post!

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  8. There is an echo in these poems of strength, perseverance and hope. I appreciate the writing talent of each of these poets!!!

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  9. wonderful selection.Congrats to the featured poets and kudos to Sherry for such a lovely selection.brilliant!

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  10. These are all wonderful selections! Thank you Sherry for brightening our lives

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    1. It is all of you who brighten mine, my friend.........I am now rich in poetry!!!!

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  11. Wonderful selection Sherry ~ Thanks for featuring their voices ~ Hey, I am still around, smiles ~

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  12. an excellent selection, Sherry!
    these are all very accomplished poems, very well written, and i enjoyed reading them again. i must make more visits to Joshua's blog. :)

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  13. Brilliant choice, sherry...no wonder, they are my faves!! Thanks for sharing..

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  14. Exceptional selections here, Sherry. Thanks for sharing these beautiful poems.

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  15. Sherry these are fabulous poems and I think I had read them all prior which is amazing since just coming here recently....it was great to visit them again and to still feel the strong emotions each raised for me....I was taken with all as I am weekly by the incredible talent that is here at Poets United.

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  16. I'm catching up with reading what I missed. Thanks for posting these four poems. They are all special and touch the heart. I'm glad I came back to read these.

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  17. Yes indeed, what wonderful poems all of them! I was particularly moved by Joshua's beautiful sonnets.

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