Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Chanukah Poems, Last Night

Two more, plus a bonus that David recited for me at dinner.

Poem of the One World

Mary Oliver

by Graham Owen
This morning
the beautiful white heron
was floating along above the water

and then into the sky of this
the one world
we all belong to

where everything
sooner or later
is a part of everything else

which thought made me feel
for a little while
quite beautiful myself.

Variations on a Theme

W. S. Merwin

Geolocator tracks of plovers migrating
northward (yellow) in spring from
Hawaii to Alaska, the reverse
in fall (purple).
Thank you my lifelong afternoon
late in this season of no age
thank you for my windows above the rivers
thank you for the true love you brought me to
when it was time at last and for words
that come out of silence and take me by surprise
and have carried me through the clear day
without once turning to look at me
thank you for friends and long echoes of them
and for those mistakes that were only mine
for the homesickness that guides the young plovers
from somewhere they loved before
they woke into it to another place
they loved before they ever saw it
thank you whole body and hand and eye
thank you for sights and moments known
only to me who will not see them again
except in my mind's eye where they have not changed
thank you for showing me the morning stars
and for the dogs who are guiding me

A Rune upon a Lunar Tune Aroon

Walt Kelly (from The Pogo Sunday Brunch)


The Moon is a Madness,
A Madness of mine.
I made her of mustard
And mulberry wine.

I garbed her in silver
And strawberry cheese.
And halved her in quarters.
(Her quarters do please.)

I crowned her and gowned her
In Love all ashine,
So boot her and shoot her,
This Madness of mine.

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