Poetry
bioephemera | June 25, 2008Fly Away Home (detail)
Jessica Palmer
On my old blog, I posted poems regularly (among my favorites were Dan Chiasson's "Mosaic of a Hare" and David Barber's "Pilgrim's Progress.") But I haven't encountered a particularly inspirational poem recently, so I let the habit lapse here on the new blog.
I think it's high time to reinstate the tradition, starting with this gem from Stanley Plumly, who teaches just a few miles away at the University of Maryland-College Park:
"The Crows at 3 A.M."Stanley Plumly
From the June 2 New Yorker
The politically correct, perfect snow of Vermont
undulant under…
grrlscientist | May 21, 2008tags: Snow, Aldo, Kate DiCamillo, poetry
"A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day of his life, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful implanted in the human soul."
-- Johann Wolfgang Goethe.
I received so many poetry suggestions from you that I decided to continue to publish poetry on my site once per week for you to enjoy. One of my SB colleagues, John Lynch, posts a poem every Friday (here's his poetry archives), so -- because I don't want to conflict with John's poem of the week -- I will post a poem every…
jlynch | May 16, 2008
Ox Transcended
Whip, rope, self, ox - no traces left.
Thoughts cannot penetrate the vast blue sky,
Snowflakes cannot survive a red-hot stove.
Arriving here, meet the ancient teachers.
K’uo-an (trans. Stanley Lombardo)
[image source]
grrlscientist | May 14, 2008tags: The Death of a Toad, Richard Wilbur, poetry
"A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day of his life, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful implanted in the human soul."
-- Johann Wolfgang Goethe.
I received so many poetry suggestions from you that I decided to continue to publish poetry on my site once per week for you to enjoy. One of my SB colleagues, John Lynch, posts a poem every Friday (here's his poetry archives), so -- because I don't want to conflict with John's poem of the week -- I will post a…
aardvarchaeology | May 11, 2008
Logged my 600th geocache this bright May morning, took a picture of a treehouse ruin near the cache, then drove home listening to the Nashville Pussy. After lunch, me and the Rundkvist ladies took part in the annual street cleaning & planting day. I headed the cleaning of two sandboxes, cleared shrubbery that was engulfing one of the boxes and collected trash in the parking lot and front door bays. Unlike Blaine Cartwright, I am not lazy.
Lazy White Boy
By Blaine Cartwright of the Nashville Pussy
Got rhythm, just too cool to show it
Got a future, can't wait to blow it
Sit around getting…
grrlscientist | May 7, 2008tags: Another Reason I Don't Keep a Gun in the House, Billy Collins, poetry
"A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day of his life, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful implanted in the human soul."
-- Johann Wolfgang Goethe.
I received so many poetry suggestions from you that I decided to continue to publish poetry on my site once per week for you to enjoy. One of my SB colleagues, John Lynch, posts a poem every Friday (here's his poetry archives), so I will post a poem on Wednesday at 10 am ET, as long as…
jlynch | May 2, 2008
Ox Forgotten
Reaching home on the back of the ox,
Rest now, the ox forgotten.
Taking a nap under the noon sun,
Whip and rope abandoned behind the hut.
K’uo-an (trans. Stanley Lombardo)
[image source]
grrlscientist | April 29, 2008tags: Dreamers, Siegfried Sassoon, poetry, National Poetry Month
April is National Poetry Month, and I plan to post one poem per day every day this month (If you have a favorite poem that you'd like me to share, feel free to email it to me).
I found today's poem after a reader on Reddit, Jack, suggested that I read some of Siegfried Sassoon's works. I have never read anything by Sassoon before, so I'd like to thank Jack for his recommendation. Below the fold is a poem by Sassoon that I thought you might appreciate.
Dreamers
Soldiers are citizens of death's grey land,
Drawing no dividend…
chaoticutopia | April 26, 2008So, here I am, with a huge backlog of things to post--science news and lab reports, fractal art, tips for green living--you know, the usual stuff. And, so, with all that ready to go, what do I do when I get my computer functioning? I write something else. I guess that’s not too unusual. Poetic inspiration comes when it does--the wise writer shouldn’t argue with it. Yet, it wasn’t the fluidity and ease of writing that surprised me--it was the topic.
"I don’t write stories about the war," I said on Monday. Five days later, I’m going over the third draft of a story about war. It’s a subject I…
jlynch | April 24, 2008
Riding the Ox Home
Riding the ox home, taking it easy,
The flute’s notes vanish in the evening haze.
Tapping time to a folk song, happy as can be -
It’s all too much for words.
K’uo-an (trans. Stanley Lombardo)
[image source]
grrlscientist | April 22, 2008tags: The Sun, Mary Oliver, poetry, National Poetry Month
April is National Poetry Month, and I plan to post one poem per day, every day this month (If you have a favorite poem that you'd like me to share, feel free to email it to me).
The image was kindly provided by my friend, Dave Rintoul, who snapped that picture when we were visiting the Platte River in Nebraska, watching the migrating sandhill cranes.
Sunset over a slough on the Platte River, Nebraska.
Image: Dave Rintoul, March 2008 [larger view].
Today's poem was one I chose for Earth Day, especially for these ending lines;
or…
grrlscientist | April 21, 2008tags: The Blue Bird, Mary Coleridge, poetry, National Poetry Month
April is National Poetry Month, and I plan to post one poem per day, every day this month (If you have a favorite poem that you'd like me to share, feel free to email it to me).
Male mountain bluebird, Sialia currucoides.
This bird surprised birders in Washington state by visiting Bainbridge Island this past weekend.
Image: Eva Gerdts, April 2008 [larger view].
Today's poem was suggested by a reader who comments here as themadlolscientist. He writes; "That marvelous photo of the BLOOOOOOOObird reminded me of this [poem…
grrlscientist | April 20, 2008tags: I Sing of Olaf Glad and Big, E. E. Cummings, poetry, National Poetry Month
April is National Poetry Month, and I plan to post one poem per day, every day this month (If you have a favorite poem that you'd like me to share, feel free to email it to me).
Today's poem was suggested by a friend and long-time reader.
I Sing of Olaf Glad and Big
I sing of Olaf glad and big
whose warmest heart recoiled at war:
a conscientious object-or
his wellbelovéd colonel (trig
westpointer most succinctly bred)
took erring Olaf soon in hand;
but--though an host of overjoyed
noncoms(first knocking on the…
grrlscientist | April 19, 2008tags: Three Questions, Ralph Black, poetry, National Poetry Month
April is National Poetry Month, and I plan to post one poem per day, every day this month (If you have a favorite poem that you'd like me to share, feel free to email it to me).
My poetry suggestions are starting to run dry, which means I will start posting my own favorites (but you've seen many of those already) or you can send me your favorite poems, which I probably haven't read before! Today's poem was suggested by Dave, a friend and long-time reader of mine, who writes that this poem was written by "a great modern poet…
jlynch | April 17, 2008
Taming the Ox
Don’t lose the whip, hold onto the rope
Or he’ll buck away into the dirt.
Herded well, in perfect harmony
He’ll follow along without any constraint.
K’uo-an (trans. Stanley Lombardo)
[image source]
grrlscientist | April 14, 2008tags: Things I Didn't Know I Loved, Nazim Hikmet, poetry, National Poetry Month
April is National Poetry Month, and I plan to post one poem per day, every day this month (If you have a favorite poem that you'd like me to share, feel free to email it to me). My poetry suggestions are starting to run dry, which means I can start posting my own favorites (but you've seen many of those already) or you can send me your favorite poems, which I probably haven't read before! Today's poem was suggested by a reader who also is a poet, Digital Cuttlefish, who writes; "One poem stands out above all…
grrlscientist | April 13, 2008tags: Rebecca, Who slammed Doors for Fun and Perished Miserably, Hilaire Belloc, poetry, National Poetry Month
April is National Poetry Month, and I plan to post one poem per day, every day this month (If you have a favorite poem that you'd like me to share, feel free to email it to me). My poetry suggestions are starting to run dry, which means I can start posting my own favorites (but you've seen many of those already) or you can send me your favorite poems, which I probably haven't read before! Today's poem was suggested by one of my readers, Biosparite.
Rebecca, Who slammed Doors for Fun…
grrlscientist | April 12, 2008tags: Water, Philip Larkin, poetry, National Poetry Month
April is National Poetry Month, and I plan to post one poem per day, every day this month (If you have a favorite poem that you'd like me to share, feel free to email it to me). My poetry suggestions are starting to run dry, which means I can start posting my own favorites (but you've seen many of those already) or you can send me your favorite poems, which I probably haven't read before! Today's poem was suggested by one of the SEED editors, Erin, who writes "I have a poem suggestion for you but don't feel like you have to use it just…
jlynch | April 11, 2008
Catching the Ox
Last desperate effort, got him!
Hard to control, powerful and wild,
The ox sprints up a hill and at the top.
Disappears into the misty clouds.
K’uo-an (trans. Stanley Lombardo)
[image source]
grrlscientist | April 11, 2008tags: Listen 014, Miller Williams, poetry, National Poetry Month
April is National Poetry Month, and I plan to post one poem per day, every day this month (If you have a favorite poem that you'd like me to share, feel free to email it to me). Today's poem was suggested by a reader and friend who writes "Here's one I've always loved -- well, as long as I've known it."
Listen 014
I threw a snowball across the backyard.
My dog ran after it to bring it back.
It broke as it fell, scattering snow over snow.
She stood confused, seeing and smelling nothing.
She searched in widening circles until I…