Sherman Creek near Canyon Creek Campground, northeast Washington
Where do I go to find comfort? Where do I find solace? I often find comfort walking along a creek like the one pictured above. Lately I have found solace in reading poetry. After departing from the Writing Retreat in June I have immersed myself in exploring poetry. I have mostly been reading contemporary American poets. Many of the poets I have gravitated to focus on common everyday things in life. I am moved when a poem captures a moment with clarity that is unforgettable. I have explored common themes and topics, use of word choice, the emotional impact the poet's words, and the sound of the language.
I find solace in poetry when I find a specific one that helps me at a time when I need comfort. Judith Viorst's words helped me this week when I read The Pleasures of an Ordinary Life which you can find here. It reassured me that I am on the right track for finding pleasure in my life.
I just read a small volume entitled Poems for Life: Famous People Select Their Favorite Poem and Say Why it Inspires Them. I learned of the book by doing a search of Anna Quindlen online recently. She wrote the introduction. It was compiled by a class of fifth graders in New York City classroom. Quindlen said, "Of all the words that have stuck to the ribs of my soul, poetry has been the most filling." I agree with the statement.
E.L. Doctorow chose a poem called A Blessing for this collection. He knew James Wright when they were students at Kenyon College. This is the poem he chose composed by Wright:
A Blessing
Just off the highway to Rochester, Minnesota,
Twilight bounds softly forth on the grass.
And the eyes of those two Indian ponies
Darken with kindness.
They have come gladly out of the willows
To welcome my friend and me.
We step over the barbed wire into the pasture
Where they have been grazing all day, alone.
They ripple tensely, they can hardly contain their happiness
That we have come.
They bow shyly as wet swans. They love each other.
There is no loneliness like theirs.
At home once more,
They begin munching the young tufts of spring in the darkness.
I would like to hold the slenderer one in my arms,
For she has walked over to me
And nuzzled my left hand.
She is black and white,
Her main falls wild on her forehead,
And the light breeze moves me to caress her long ear
That is delicate as the skin over a girl's wrist.
Suddenly I realize
That if I stepped out of my body I would break
Into blossom.
Also in this little volume Geraldine Ferraro and Diane Sawyer chose If by Rudyard Kipling. Yo-Yo Ma's favorite was Ode on a Grecian Urn by John Keats because " beauty has its own truth." I found solace in reading why each of these New Yorkers chose their favorite poem. I would find it difficult to chose a favorite.
I am drawn to a variety of poets. Lately I have read anthologies so I can get a mix of poets like Billy Collins, Mary Oliver, Jane Kenyon, Ted Kooser, and William Stafford. I have also found poems I like by Carol Muske, Liz Rosenberg, Marge Piercy, and Wislawa Szymborska.
You can link to many poems I have posted on my label poetry to the right.
In closing one poem that always gives me comfort is Billy Collins' Forgetfulness. Who has not drawn a blank on a person's name you have known for years, or the red flower growing in the window box? This animated video reading of the poem uses visuals effectively to reinforce the theme. Take time to listen to his words and watch the video . Again, take solace in the fact that an everyday thing such as forgetting can happen to all of us.
To find other Sunday Scribblings on Solace go here.
