With the Summer Solstice having just occurred, I thought it appropriate to repost this poem. Slightly melancholic and romantic, In the Summer, is a personal favorite that was written by a Syrian poet, Nizar Qabbani.
Valentine’s Day may have been on Friday, but I’m in favor of extending any holiday that is about expressing your love. This poem, published by Robert Frost in 1928, is a personal favorite. He masterfully paints a picture with his words to describe love in such an intimate manner. Whenever I read this poem it is with a soundtrack softly playing in my head of waves crashing on the beach followed by the rushing noise of the water quickly receding back into the ocean.
Devotion
The heart can think of no devotion
Greater than being shore to ocean –
Holding the curve of one position,
Counting an endless repetition.
With the start of Summer season in the US starting today – the start of Memorial Day Weekend – I wanted to share this poem which I post each summer.
In the Summer was written by a Syrian named Nizar Qabbani. Its slightly melancholic message makes it all the more romantic, which is pretty impressive considering the entire poem is less than 40 words.
At the Touch of You
Witter Bynner, 1881 – 1968
At the touch of you,
As if you were an archer with your swift hand at the bow,
The arrows of delight shot through my body.
You were spring,
And I the edge of a cliff,
And a shining waterfall rushed over me.
Bynner was born in NYC, spending his formative years in Brookline, MA and at Harvard before embarking on travels, that ultimately led him to Santa Fe, NM. Bynner was friends with D.H. Lawrence who based characters on these two “friends” in his book, The Plumed Serpent.
In what has become an unintentional tradition, each October I post this poem. It is a personal favorite and happens to be by the 20th century poet, Robert Frost.
Nothing gold can stay was inspired by the fall foliage in New England and was written nearly 100 years ago, back in 1923.
Nature’s first green is gold
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
Check out the video above then leave a comment and like it. 🙂
IT CAN’T BE AUGUST YET, CAN IT?
I DON’T KNOW – I JUST WOKE UP AND LOST TRACK OF TIME.
BUT THE DOOR IS OPEN. AND SO IS THE WINDOW
WHERE I STAND, LEAN OUT
AND LET THE SUN ON MY SHOULDERS
NOW BROWN AND FRECKLED.
FROM HERE.
I CAN SEE BLUE WATER THROUGH THE TREES
AND WHITE CANVAS SAILS THAT TAKE ME AWAY
TO THE ISLAND ON THE LAKE
WHERE THE SKY IS ALWAYS CLEAR
AND SEPTEMBER NEVER COMES
-matt albiani
I’ve posted this poem previously but thought it worth sharing again.
In the Summer was written by a Syrian named Nizar Qabbani. I love this poem and its melancholic message seems to make it all the more romantic.
Salem, MA is set to host the 10th annual Massachusetts Poetry Festival, May 4-6. Turning this picturesque New England town into epicenter of contemporary American poetry, and providing you the chance to hear many of the nation’s best poets read and discuss their work in intimate and engaging forums.
The Massachusetts Poetry Festival is the nation’s largest annual poetry festival, showcasing nearly 100 poetry readings and workshops, a small press and literary fair, panels, poetry slams, visual arts, and open-air performances. This year’s festival will include nearly 300 local and nationally known poets.
Of particular interest are the discussions, College Slammers – Poetry Slam from students at area colleges on Friday, May 4th from 9-10:30PM at the Hawthorne Hotel; We’re Here. We’re Queer: New Poetry Books by LGBTQ Writers on Saturday, May 5th from 2-3PM at the Hawthorne Hotel; and The Shakespeare Time-Traveling Speakeasy on Sunday, May 6th from 2:30 – 3:30PM at the P.E.M.
For more information about the festival visit their website, masspoetry.org.
Photo of George Olesky by Nile Hawver / Nile Scott Shots from SpeakEasy Stage Co. “Shakespeare in Love”
Dorothy Parker’s six-line poem from the 1920s is a cynical assessment of romance. However in the age of Tinder and exchanging dozens of emails or texts before coming together or organically meeting, Ms. Parker’s cynicism seems remarkably current for a poem that is nearly 100 years old.
By the time you swear you’re his,
Shivering, and sighing,
And he vows his passion is
Indefinite, undying –
Lady, make a note of this:
One of you is lying.
– Dorothy Parker, from Unfortunate Coincidence
Every winter I share this poem – a personal favorite from one of my favorite poets, Robert Frost. Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening is a poem Frost wrote nearly 100 years ago in 1922 and was first published a year later in his Pulitzer Prize winning, New Hampshire volume.
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
In what has become an unintentional tradition, each October I post this poem on my blog. It is one of my favorite poems and happens to be by the famous 20th century New England poet, Robert Frost.
Nothing gold can stay was inspired by the fall foliage in New England. Despite the fact that the poem was written nearly 100 years ago, back in 1923, it remains current and still inspires.
Nature’s first green is gold
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
Devotion
The heart can think of no devotion
Greater than being shore to ocean –
Holding the curve of one position,
Counting an endless repetition.
Devotion was written by American Poet, Robert Frost, and first published in 1928. I love the simplicity of this poem and the imagery he evokes to describe such a personal and intimate concept.
I’ve posted this poem previously but thought it worth sharing again. In the Summer was written by a Syrian named Nizar Qabbani. I love this poem. It has a slightly melancholic message that makes it all the more romantic, which is pretty impressive considering the entire poem is less than 40 words.
I enjoy poetry and from time to time I do write down a few lines like this haiku, which I believe I wrote about 15+ years ago when I was first coming out. Like most of my poetry, it isn’t that deep or abstract so perhaps you can relate.
Casual encounters
a random meeting
the handsome smile is trouble
temptation abounds
The Coming of Light
Even this late it happens:
the coming of love, the coming of light.
You wake and the candles are lit as if by themselves,
stars gather, dreams pour into your pillows,
sending up warm bouquets of air.
Even this late the bones of the body shine
and tomorrow’s dust flares into breath.
I had never heard of this poem by Mark Strand until late December when The Closet Professor (NSFW) posted it on his website.
Mark Strand was a Canadian-born American poet, essayist and translator. He was born on Prince Edward Island in a secular Jewish family. He received a Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1999 for Blizzard of One. You can purchase some of his works including The Coming of Light on Amazon.com, here.
BosGuy 