Today's Poem

[Auburnwine]

What a very nice poem. I had great fun learning "Stopping By Woods" this year when my lad was learning it.

Wonders, I have always enjoyed Karl Shapiro.

There are so many brilliant poets working these days (or recently deceased). North Carolinians A. R. Ammons and Mary Oliver are brilliant. Denise Levertov gets to the heart of the matter, with words and ideas. The beauty (and eros) of Li-Young Lee's work will bring you to tears.

I have to confess my own recent effort. It's kind of grim, but I felt like I had to write something about going to "parents' day lunch" at my 10-year-old's school. This lad has had some tough breaks. His single-parent father died two weeks ago from cancer and he himself is being treated for inoperable brain cancer.

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Orphans

Donovan is back at school,
his father buried. The
latest chemotherapy
has puffed his face and blushed
his cheeks.

I sat with him at lunch, after Ethan
and the others had gone out to
recess. His small right hand hangs awkwardly,
like an old man with a stroke, and he drags
that stiffened leg.

I helped him wipe the spilled
potatoes from his pants
and clean the peaches from his
shirt. He smiled up sweetly, eyes bright,
as we talked about ice cream
that we had had, our favorite flavors.
Simple, declarative words.

And together we walked down the
hall to his music class, slowly, as if
we had all the time in the world.

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My son now insists on helping Donovan with his lunch and walking him to his classes. The other kids are all pitching in as well. Kids are really, really decent.