Thursday, September 07, 2006
The prompt at Poetry Thursday this week is Blue - the color, the mood, whatever blue means to us.
One of the first things I thought of when I heard the prompt is the sky and flying, in particular the poem "High Flight" with its glorious phrase "Up, up the long delirious, burning blue" but I already posted that poem.
My second thought was of Mary Oliver's poem "Blue Iris." And that's what I decided to share this week. I love this poem so much! I hope you like it too.
Blue Iris
Now that I'm free to be myself, who am I?
Can't fly, can't run, and see how slowly I walk.
Well, I think, I can read books.
"What's that you're doing?"
the green-headed fly shouts as it buzzes past.
I close the book.
Well, I can write down words, like these, softly.
"What's that you're doing?" whispers the wind, pausing
in a heap just outside the window.
Give me a little time, I say back to its staring, silver face.
It doesn't happen all of a sudden, you know.
"Doesn't it?" says the wind, and breaks open, releasing
distillation of blue iris.
And my heart panics not to be, as I long to be,
the empty, waiting, pure, speechless receptacle.
~~~Mary Oliver
"Blue Iris Dream"
(clickable if you want to see it larger in a new window)
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