SEPTEMBER
Touch Me
by Stanley Kunitz
Summer is late, my heart.
Words plucked out of the air
some forty years ago
when I was wild with love
and torn almost in two
scatter like leaves this night
of whistling wind and rain.
It is my heart that's late,
it is my song that's flown.
Outdoors all afternoon
under a gunmetal sky
staking my garden down,
I kneeled to the crickets trilling
underfoot as if about
to burst from their crusty shells;
and like a child again
marveled to hear so clear
and brave a music pour
from such a small machine.
What makes the engine go?
Desire, desire, desire.
The longing for the dance
stirs in buried life.
One season only,
and it's done.
So let the battered old willow
thrash against the windowpanes
and the house timbers creak.
Darling, do you remember
the man you married? Touch me,
remind me who I am.
--from Passing Through: The Later Poems, New and Selected--
Please stop back on September 6th when I will be hosting for
and share your thoughts on poetry and your writing! I will reveal the prompt for Thursday, September 13th and who will be the next participant host. Let's keep this poetry community going strong...
Touch Me
by Stanley Kunitz
Summer is late, my heart.
Words plucked out of the air
some forty years ago
when I was wild with love
and torn almost in two
scatter like leaves this night
of whistling wind and rain.
It is my heart that's late,
it is my song that's flown.
Outdoors all afternoon
under a gunmetal sky
staking my garden down,
I kneeled to the crickets trilling
underfoot as if about
to burst from their crusty shells;
and like a child again
marveled to hear so clear
and brave a music pour
from such a small machine.
What makes the engine go?
Desire, desire, desire.
The longing for the dance
stirs in buried life.
One season only,
and it's done.
So let the battered old willow
thrash against the windowpanes
and the house timbers creak.
Darling, do you remember
the man you married? Touch me,
remind me who I am.
--from Passing Through: The Later Poems, New and Selected--
Please stop back on September 6th when I will be hosting for
and share your thoughts on poetry and your writing! I will reveal the prompt for Thursday, September 13th and who will be the next participant host. Let's keep this poetry community going strong...
posted by Left-handed Trees... at 10:08 PM
25 Comments:
Fantastic! Thank you Delia. :)
Wonderful photos and great words.
The photos and poem are both beautiful.
Love the photos and the poem!
I have the chance to hear Stanley read this poem--so moving. I think this one and "The Portrait" are my favorites.
Great! Thanks for sharing this.
I will be here on Sep 6!
Love the photos and the poem--they work so well together, too. And I'll admit that I've never heard of Kunitz, so now I have another poet to read up on. Thank you!
Is there a prompt this week for Poetry Thursday, or is it a free-for-all? Thanks for letting us play at your place this week!
Thank you all for your comments--I'm happy to host for Poetry Thursday this week!
split ends: it is a free-for-all...anything goes...have fun with it. I will be sharing the guided prompt for NEXT week on Thursday, though, so stay tuned.
Free for all... Hmmm...
See you all on the 6th
Are there folks able & willing to take on some administrative duties to keep this going -- maybe in a somewhat easier way?
I have an idea: Poetry Thursday, Rekindled
The 'blog' feature could be used for folks to post their links. The other features might come in handy, too.
What do you think? Other ideas?
Hmm, my website didn't link on the previous comment, and you probably would like to know who I am before you start volunteering for things.
I'm at Watermark.
cool! i'll be back Thursday then..
:-)
So we will be itinerant for a while, wandering the back roads, looking for a place to perform for our supper. I like the idea of that. Sometimes you find the greatest things in the journey.
I'll be dropping in on the 6th. Thanks for sharing the photos and that poem today. I'm so glad there will be a continuing community - even if it is now to be nomadic.
lovely.
oxox :)
"Touch me,
remind me who I am."
This poem certainly did touch me. Beautiful. Thank you for sharing this!
D:
i love all the words you post here. the poems. your poetic prose writing. everything.
will be back sept 6th :)
Huge thanks for hosting!
(Plus, Sept. 6th is my *birthday!*) :)
Rob Kistner has started writers Island which will have poetry/prose postings on tuesdays.
The prompt for next tuesday is already on. Prompts are to be posted every Sat from next week onwards. Anyone who is interested can check that out.
A bunch of poetry gypsies, that's about right! I, too, would love to see Poetry Thursday "land" at a regular spot again...but, I'm just hosting this week so I don't know exactly what the longer-term plans all are yet. I think we'll be "on the road" awhile, then--after our adventure, we'll find a home! If you have interest in hosting/assisting please email Liz of Poetry Thursday. In the meantime, I am hoping to be introduced to (even more) wonderful blogs by meeting up through new hosts each week! Looking forward to tomorrow, so I can see what you all have shared in the wild wonder of poetry...
well, i've always been a bit of a poetry gypsy and i do love traveling down the back roads of life ~ so i'll check back here tomorrow ...
this is lovely ... xox
that poem made me sob
beautiful - soooo moving.
Gorgeous photos - the greens
delighted me!
So glad you all have found your way here--just a note to say that I will be posting the Poetry Thursday entry for you to add your comments/links at midnight (Eastern U.S. time). Please hang on until then for those of you who reach Thursday before I do...we don't want to miss out on your poems!
thank you so much for hosting... i am thrilled... let me know if you need a guest host one week... i am off on thursdays,,,,
these photos are breathtaking honey. thinking of you. much love. xoxo
beautiful photos and words. dashingly inspirational.
Post a Comment
<< Home