Recent poetry

• Video of the Week - Part Two: Forgetfulness by Billy Collins

  I am a big fan of Billy Collin’s poetry.  Here is a video of him reading his poem “Forgetfulness” accompanied by some cool animation.

  Discovered at “You watched the quadratic equation pack its bag.”, originally posted by JMW on Saturday, 04 August 2007.  Thanks for this, JMW!
  Technorati tags: video, poetry, poem, animation, Billy Collins, Forgetfulness

  August 9th, 2007

• This Week’s Poem: ‘How Could I Ever Forget That Flash of Light’ - Mitsuyoshi Toge

  Last week the blog “God’s Politics” ran this poem by Mitsuyoshi Toge in commemoration of the 62nd anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima.  As the post stated: 
  Mitsuyoshi Toge, born in Hiroshima in 1917, was a Catholic and a poet. He was in Hiroshima when the atomic bomb was dropped on the city on August 6, 1945, [...]

  August 5th, 2007

• This Week’s Poem: I Wonder

  This “poem” was published by Gisela Raines in a sermon of hers on the Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary email discussion group.  She took it a book by Ivor Smith-Cameron entitled Pilgrimage, an Exploration into God. The poem was written by  Derek Tasker and printed on a Christmas card.  At the end of this post you will [...]

  July 5th, 2007

• A Reflection on Death and Dying

  I watch her breathe . . . quick shallow breathes,and I see the IV drip its medicine and morphine into her arm.They provide an artificial, but necessary, peaceand a relief from any pain she may feel.I listen to the oxygen as it bubbles in the water in the small jar hanging on the wall behind her [...]

  June 2nd, 2007

• Reflections on The Red Wheel Barrow

  The Red Wheel Barrow
  William Carlos Williams
  so much depends
  upon
  a red wheel
  barrow
  glazed with rain
  water
  beside the white
  chickens.
  A few weeks ago, the inestimable Julie of Lone Prairie Blog posted this poem in one of her “Google Gadgets.”  I commented that I loved the poem, and I believe Julie said that it was the word “glazed” that got to her [...]

  April 20th, 2007

• This Week’s Poem: “You Do Not Have to Be Good” by Mary Oliver

  I found this poem a while back on Maggi Dawn’s blog. I don’t think I agree with it’s basic premise: “You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves,” but the imagery and language nevertheless speak to me (much as the serpent spoke to Eve in the garden maybe).
  If [...]

  March 30th, 2007

• This Week’s Poem - Wendell Berry

  This week’s poem is “The Summer Ends,” by Wendell Berry. It is taken from his book A Timbered Choir, which can be purchased by clicking on the the title.
  Poems are reprinted on this website with the hope that those reading them will discover new poetry and poets and will hopefully purchase the works of the [...]

  March 3rd, 2007

• Ask Me Whether What I Have Done is My Life - An Ash Wednesday Sermon

  Since first posting about William Stafford’s poem a short time ago, I have found that it has never been far from my consciousness.  Perhaps in an attempt to exercise it from my thoughts, I used it as the basis for my sermon tonight at my church’s Ash Wednesday service.

  Some time when the river is ice ask [...]

  February 21st, 2007

• This Week’s Poem: Simple Song by Yours Truly

  Simple Song
  Will Humes
  © September 2004
  Simple gifts he gave us of water, broken bread and wine
  Simple gifts he gave us to lead us to his love divine
  Simple tales he told us of sheep and coins and long lost sons
  Simple tales he told us – a God who searches, seeks and runs.
  Refrain:
  A God who did not choose [...]

  February 16th, 2007

• This Week’s Poem: "Ask Me" by William Stafford

  I discovered this poem for the first time at this post Ask Me located on the blog inward/outward
  By William Stafford, The Language of Life
  Some time when the river is ice ask me
  mistakes I have made. Ask me whether
  what I have done is my life. Others
  have come in their slow way into
  my thought, and some have tried to [...]

  February 15th, 2007