“I Said to Poetry” by Alice Walker

On By Christina's WordsIn Poetry

I said to Poetry: “I’m finished
with you.”
Having to almost die
before some weird light
comes creeping through
is no fun.
“No thank you, Creation,
no muse need apply.
I’m out for good times –
at the very least,
some painless convention.”

Poetry laid back
and played dead
until this morning.
I wasn’t sad or anything,
only restless.

Poetry said: “You remember
the desert, and how glad you were
that you have an eye
to see it with?* You remember
that, if ever so slightly?”
I said: “I didn’t hear that.
Besides, it’s five o’clock in the a.m.
I’m not getting up
in the dark
to talk to you.”

Poetry said: “But think about the time
you saw the moon
over that small canyon
that you liked so much better
than the grand one – and how suprised you were
that the moonlight was green
and you still had
one good eye
to see it with

Think of that!”

“I’ll join the church!” I said,
huffily, turning my face to the wall.
“I’ll learn how to pray again!”

“Let me ask you,” said Poetry.
“When you pray, what do you think
you’ll see?”

Poetry had me.

“There’s no paper
in this room,” I said.
“And that new pen I bought
makes a funny noise.”

“Bullshit,” said Poetry.
“Bullshit,” said I.

– Alice Walker
Originally shared on June 13, 2015

Thank you to everyone for the warm re-welcoming. My heart is full. ❤️

 

 

 

9 thoughts on ““I Said to Poetry” by Alice Walker”

  1. Will Grimes

    The words of the mystic Meister Eckhart, have been translated to read: LOVE DOES THAT All day long a little burro labors, sometimes / with heavy loads on her back and sometimes just with worries / about things that bother only / burros. // And worries, as we know, can be more exhausting / than physical labor. // Once in a while a kind monk comes / to her stable and brings / a pear, but more / than that. // he looks into the burro’s eyes and touches her ears // and for a few seconds the burro is free / and even seems to laugh, // because love does / that. // Love frees. [Love Poems from God translated by Daniel Ladinsky 2002]

    Liked by 2 people

    1. That wily Ms. Walker…..
      Remember when Amazon had that sale and we got several of her books for free?! This poem is in one of them: Horses Make a Landscape Look More Beautiful.

      I looked up the title to make sure I had it right and found this:

      Alice Walker has always turned to poetry to express some of her most personal and deeply felt concerns. She has said that her poems-even the happy ones-emerge from an accumulation of sadness, when she stands again “in the sunlight.” “[This collection] has two fine strengths-a music that comes along sometimes, as sad and cheery as a lonely woman’s whistling-and Miss Walker’s own tragicomic gifts” (New York Times Book Review).

      This: an accumulation of sadness standing in the sunlight….
      oof.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. She is scattered all thru my Kindle because of you … I think you may be responsible for 90% of what sits on my shelves.
        Remember the flood I still haven’t written about?
        I kept all of my books in the basement – in 20 minutes, I had none. I just started buying books again about 4 years ago. Your influence on my library is evident ❤️❤️

        Liked by 1 person

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