It's the third Thursday of the month so I'd like to welcome you to A Gathering of Poetry. The poem I chose for today felt right as soon as I found it (or maybe it found me).
Late Spring in the Mesilla Valley
Carrie Fountain
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Carrie Fountain
Walking this morning,
I thought, What if I stop saying
the little no I’m always saying?
What if I drop it right here
in the middle of Rabb Road?
You know the guy down the street
who left his Christmas lights up
until after Easter? Well, did you see
all the odd little mirrors he hung
in the bushes alongside his house?
I keep thinking I’d like to be forced
into a conversation with yes.
It’s not enough to brace yourself;
eventually you must allow this world
to hit you in the face.
All night I’ve been getting whiffs
of some late-blooming honeysuckle.
Half of me says, Don’t breathe.
But only half.
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Fountain, Carrie. "Late Spring in the Mesilla Valley", Burn Lake. Penguin Books. 2010
You can read more about the poet here and here.
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Thanks for reading and joining us for our monthly Gathering of Poetry. Be sure to visit Kym and Kat so you can gather more poetry and you can add your link below if you would like to share one of your favorite poems. The more the merrier!
Oh! That's a wonderful poem! What a perfect message for me to fold into my heart today. XO
ReplyDeleteWow! This poem pack a punch... beautifully! I love when poems pick us... it is magical!
ReplyDeleteThis line really hit me: "It’s not enough to brace yourself; eventually you must allow this world to hit you in the face." That's something I've been trying to do more, specifically the beauty of the world around me. Thank you for sharing this!
ReplyDeleteGreat poem - I especially like the same line as Sarah!
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking about saying Yes to a few new things ... and pondering why No feels so much easier? This poem helps. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI too would like to be forced into a conversation with yes - something to ponder
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sarah, that line about letting the world hit you in the face is wonderful. I love the imagery of this poem, too.
ReplyDeleteI want to say yes but I am a resisting kind of person! Lovely poem.
ReplyDeleteI do like it when a poem seems to be just right for the moment. I too wonder why no is so much easier than yes. I have a dumb technical question. Where does one find those images that accompany the poetry posts?
ReplyDeleteThis poem has really great imagery. I love the idea of just dropping a word or concept right where we are.
ReplyDelete