Housekeeping

From Housekeeping
Marilynne Robinson
(1943-)

Cain murdered Abel, and blood cried out from the earth; the house fell on Job's children, and a voice was induced or provoked into speaking from a whirlwind; and Rachel mourned her children; and King David for Absalom. The force behind the movement of time is a mourning that will not be comforted. That is why the first event is known to be an expulsion, and the last is hoped to be reconciliation and return. So memory pulls us forward, so prophecy is only brilliant memory--there will be a garden where all of us as one child will sleep in our mother Eve, hooped in her ribs and staved by her spine.

Not as Smart as I Think I Am

Not as Smart as I Think I Am
Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz
(1978-)

Trickle Drops

Trickle Drops
Walt Whitman
(1819-1892)

Trickle drops! my blue veins leaving!

O drops of me! trickle, slow drops,

Candid from me falling, drip, bleeding drops,

From wounds made to free you whence you were prison’d,

From my face, from my forehead and lips,

From my breast, from within where I was conceal’d, press forth red drops, confession drops,

Stain every page, stain every song I sing, every word I say, bloody drops,

Let them know your scarlet heat, let them glisten,

Saturate them with yourself all ashamed and wet

Glow upon all I have written or shall write, bleeding drops,

Let it all be seen in your light, blushing drops.

The Poem of the Little House at the Corner of Misapprehension and Marvel

The Poem of the Little House at the Corner of Misapprehension and Marvel

Albert Goldbarth

(1948-)

Unit of Measure

Unit of Measure
Sandra Beasley

I Shall Keep Singing

Emily Dickinson
1830-1886

I shall keep singing!
Birds will pass me
On their way to Yellower Climes--
Each--with a Robin's expectation--
I--with my Redbreast--
And my Rhymes--

Late--when I take my place in summer--
But--I shall bring a fuller tuner--
Vespers--are sweeter than Matins--Signor--
Morning--only the seed of Noon--

Commencement

Esme's poetry blog commences!

Here's the deal: Three or more times a week I will post a poem. I may also post quotations and excerpts from books.
The purpose: To keep me in a perpetual state of questing for awesome poetry. To have a record of my favorite poems that I can look back on. To share my favorite poetry with others.

The blog will likely start out slow. I'd rather not go against copyright, so until I figure out the do's and don't's of copyright law I'll be posting old poetry that is likely public domain.