As poets we must endeavour to practice being keen observers of our world as well as our personal relationship with things within that world.
We learn much from reading the words of fellow poets and the way they rise to meet these expectations.
This poem is for Billy Collins who possesses a masterful ability for keen observation of these critical considerations and has taught me much.
'Good poetry can penetrate your writing like smoke gets into your clothes.'
John Poch
Adoration of Things
In My World
-For Billy Collins
Late in the
afternoon
As I strolled along
the beach
I found myself
infatuated
With piece of
sun-bleached driftwood.
Later on
While walking home
along the reserve
I fell in love with
a butterfly
Resting on a bougainvillea
And the frenzied
flight of rainbow lorikeets.
Back home in the
kitchen
I felt a yearning
for a cup of Earl Grey tea
And a growing
passion for the last Tim-Tam
In the pack.
I have previously
noted my enduring fondness
For well ironed
shirts,
The brilliance of
autumn leaves,
And winter scarves.
I further note
My affection for
lavender and lemons,
The cool smoothness
of weathered stones,
The magical shapes
of fresh words on a page
Do I take my lead
from Leonard Cohen
Who loved the shape
of things in his world?
Or does it come from practiced observation
and nuanced noticings?
©Alan j Wright
It is yet again Poetry Friday and our host this week is Linda Baie at Teacher Dance. Visit Linda to discover more about Halloween and the poetry of the occasion.
This is such a relatable poem, Allan. The things we love. So many adorations to appreciate! The chill of a crisp breeze on a stifling day - the brilliance of green and blue, following grey. These are some of the things that I love.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kat. I'm so pleased you made a connection.
DeleteWhat a lovely reminder to notice and appreciate today!
ReplyDeleteToday, now, are important considerations if we truly wish to gain solace and heightened appreciation from this life we live Liz. Thanks you for your response.
DeleteTaking note of beloved things in our lives keeps us sane, I think, perhaps more than ever in these fractured recent months, Alan. They are there for us if we pay attention. I learned about a "Tim Tam" from your poem today, new to me, & love the inspiration of your poem with the pictures, too. I immediately started my own list!
ReplyDeleteKeeping sane is good Linda. Particularly now... I'm glad 'Tim Tams' piqued your curiosity. We consider them to be biscuit royalty. You have reminded me that my poem possesses a list like structure. Hope your list takes you somewhere special.
DeleteLovely detail, here, Alan. So many things to appreciate as the day ticks on and your poem is a reminder to pay attention. I also like Billie Collins and would like to revisit him, maybe this weekend.
ReplyDeleteThank you Janice. I guess it is a practiced habit. I am always urging young writers to indulge in some close and considered observation. It can be quite restorative. It also provides great fodder for writing. I hope you get to catch up with Billy Collins over the weekend. I have a story concerning one of my educational heroes, the late Donald Graves who loved poetry. He and his wife would exchange Billy Collins poems each night before their evening meal.
DeleteThis poem says a great deal about you and your life. Like Linda B, I will start my own list. A helpful idea in these times... and always. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThankyou Karen. You're right. The poem does sprinkle some revelatory clues regarding my life. A picture emerges...
DeleteLike Linda, I hope your list delivers you to a soul nourishing place.
I can definitely hear the Billy Collins influence in your poem. I love how you took us through a day with all the things you love.
ReplyDeleteThat's a compliment Mary Lee. He's a poet I much admire and have read extensively. I'm glad you enjoyed my meandering...
DeleteI'm always inspired by your posts, Alan, and I so often leave with a new idea to try. Today you remind me to read more Billy Collins and to list delights in my world. The sounds and rhythm of these lines were especially lovely to me:
ReplyDelete"My affection for lavender and lemons,
The cool smoothness of weathered stones,
The magical shapes of fresh words on a page"
Thank you!
Thank you Molly, your words spur me to keep searching the terrain for new poetry possibilities. Listing the delights in our respective worlds provides a positive focus, helping us avoid the glums. So glad you liked those particular lines.
DeleteSuch a mindful poem. I'm so glad I stopped by this morning. This past week, a student who is a very reluctant reader popped into the library and stated, "I wish it were summer already." I responded with, well it's getting there in Australia. Puzzled looks and some fun discussion followed. Your photo reminded me of that discussion. I like how this poem slows me down as I imagine each of the noted things and how I either love them too or, hadn't thought of it before. Well done. I nice little reading vacation for me.
ReplyDeleteIt is indeed getting closer. The air around us is gradually warming Linda. The hemispheres and the seasons make for a most interesting discussion revealing our often insular perspectives. Glad you enjoyed the meander through my thoughts.
DeleteThis is wonderful Alan. I am inspired to look into my own life and attempt something similar. I'm curious to know if there a particular work by Billy Collins that inspired this ...
ReplyDeleteThank you Elisabeth. I look forward to your poetic response. I have a few Billy Collins books, but my favourite is 'Nine Horses'- anthology gleamed partly from poems previously published in magazines.
DeleteI remember well the model poem for your poem from Billy Collins that I have used with students to illicit a similar style. (Don't recall the title, though) There are so many things to love in a day and collecting them into a poem is a treasure.
ReplyDeleteMy inspiration came from several poems -Aimless Love, Litany and Rooms to name a few. I agree with you Margaret, there are many things to love, admire appreciate across a day. I am pleased to have had this opportunity to acknowledge their influence on my mood.
DeleteI love your poem and the glimpse of all the things you love!
ReplyDeleteThank you Ruth. Much appreciated. Glimpses can be enlightening...
DeleteI am going to look up the Billy Collins' poem. I love each tiny detail of your poem, of the things you love.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jone. Glad you liked it.
DeleteBeautiful poem, and I love the way you've used a Collins-like eye to take in the world around you. Billy Collins is one of my favorite poets for grown-ups!
ReplyDeleteThank you Laura. The influences on our words and ways are various. In Billy Collins, we share a favourite
DeleteThis poem is delightful. It's a reminder of all that is there if we just take notice. I want to go back to study the sounds in your first stanza. In a quick read, there's something about the sound of /f/ along with the long vowel sounds tucked within that works. I want to take a closer look at this.
ReplyDeleteThank you Cathy. Your response inspires me to remain observant of things in my day, my world. You have alerted me to the assonance and alliteration in that first stanza. Thank you for your considered thoughts regarding my poem.
Delete