although english major i may be, i was never one of those who would lock myself away and read ancient copies of Poe or write term papers for months about vampires in 19th century lit. just not my bag.
but, i love poetry. i don't consider myself extremely well read in the genre at all and i couldn't recite any really good poem, but poems are great because they make you think. they also, more than any other writing, make me stop and breathe for a bit. i know that i mentioned kay ryan in a post last july about writer's workshops that people got a little hyped up about, but i never really put down any of her poetry. it's really good, and the words are chosen just perfectly. this is one of my favorites (and yes, it made me cry)
THINGS SHOULDN'T BE SO HARD
A life should leave
deep tracks:
ruts where she
went out and back
to get the mail
or move the hose
around the yard;
where she used to
stand before the sink,
a worn-out place;
beneath her hand
the china knobs
rubbed down to
white pastilles;
the switch she
used to feel for
in the dark
almost erased.
Her things should
keep her marks.
The passage
of a life should show;
it should abrade.
And when life stops,
a certain space—
however small —
should be left scarred
by the grand and
damaging parade.
Things shouldn't
be so hard.
favorite line: by the grand and/damaging parade. and the china knobs rubbed down to white pastilles. mmmm....
1 comment:
in mexico and maybe other latin american countries, poetry is held with higher respect. so in school kids are required to memorize poems and recite them--and THEY LIKE IT. i wish we had to do the same.
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