Thursday, September 3, 2020

Poetry on Thursday

Today's poem was authored by a prolific and well-known poet, E.E. Cummings. His eccentric use of punctuation, grammar, and form redefined poetry in the 1920s and still does. In a "non-lecture" at Harvard, he said, “So far as I am concerned, poetry and every other art was, is, and forever will be strictly and distinctly a question of individuality.” I wholeheartedly agree.


You Are Tired (I Think)
E.E. Cummings

You are tired,
(I think)
Of the always puzzle of living and doing;
And so am I.

Come with me, then,
And we'll leave it far and far away—
(Only you and I, understand!)

You have played,
(I think)
And broke the toys you were fondest of,
And are a little tired now;
Tired of things that break, and—
Just tired.
So am I.

But I come with a dream in my eyes tonight,
And knock with a rose at the hopeless gate of your heart—
Open to me!
For I will show you the places Nobody knows,
And, if you like,
The perfect places of Sleep.

Ah, come with me!
I'll blow you that wonderful bubble, the moon,
That floats forever and a day;
I'll sing you the jacinth song
Of the probable stars;
I will attempt the unstartled steppes of dream,
Until I find the Only Flower,
Which shall keep (I think) your little heart
While the moon comes out of the sea.

"You Are Tired" by E.E. Cummings. E.E. Cummings: Complete Poems 1904-1962. Liveright (July 12, 2016).
You can read more about E. E. Cummings here.

I wish you mindfulness, peace, ease, sleep, and some poetry as this week winds down.

10 comments:

  1. I am very fond of E.E.Cummings, so thanks for this poem. I am tired, as is everyone these days, I think. I wish the same gifts for you that you have wished for me this day, Bonny.

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  2. I love this poem... (and I think this was one of the poems I studied in college!) It is perfect for today's world. (I think!)

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  3. How wonderful! I feel like I could have used this last night (it was a rough night of sleep in our house). I think tonight I will crawl into bed and think about attempting the "unstartled steppes of dream" (what a concept!).

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  4. Ahhh, elusive sleep. I like the "bubble moon" and am remembering that I have a book of Cummings' poetry in a bookcase upstairs. Time to pull it out!

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  5. Thank-you Bonny! I wish the same for you my friend. xo

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  6. Love this, Bonny - thank you! wishing you all of that as well (and thinking I might have a nap in my very near future!)

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  7. That's a wonderful poem for right now. Thank you.

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  8. I had never seen that poem! I love e e cummings. In Just Spring when the ballloon man whistles far and Wee?

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  9. I always love a good e.e. cummings poem! Thanks for sharing this one, Bonny. It is just perfect. XO

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  10. the older I get the more I value sleeping! I haven't read the poem before, thanks for sharing!!

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Thank you for visiting and taking the time to comment! :-)