Every day is poetry day!

Today is national poetry day in the UK. But for me, and many others, poetry is important every day - whether I'm reading it or writing it or thinking it... It is far too important to be thought of only once a year! Maybe I'm taking it all too literally!

I recently completed my Staying Alive trilogy, editted by Neil Astley, so I thought I'd include a couple  of the poems from the books as part of today's blog...

And the days are not full enough

And the days are not full enough

And the nights are not full enough

And life slips by like a field mouse

Not shaking the grass

Ezra Proud

from 'Staying Alive'

~~~~

Quietness

Inside this new love, die.
Your way begins on the other side.
Become the sky.
Take an axe to the prison wall.
Escape.
Walk out like someone suddenly born into colour.
Do it now.
You're covered with thick cloud.
Slide out the side. Die,
and be quiet. Quietness is the surest sign
that you've died.
Your old life was a frantic running
from silence.

The speechless full moon
comes out now.

Rumi

translated by Coleman Barks with John Moyne

from 'Being Human'

~~~

Here

 Here I am in the garden laughing
an old woman with heavy breasts
and a nicely mapped face

how did this happen
well that's who I wanted to be

at last a woman
in the old style sitting
stout thighs apart under
a big skirt grandchild sliding
on off my lap a pleasant
summer perspiration

that's my old man across the yard
he's talking to the meter reader
he's telling him the world's sad story
how electricity is oil or uranium
and so forth I tell my grandson
run over to your grandpa ask him
to sit beside me for a minute I
am suddenly exhausted by my desire
to kiss his sweet explaining lips

Grace Paley

from 'Being Alive'