Last Thursday was "Poem in Your Pocket Day" but we are celebrating it today. I thought that blessing the boats would be a wonderful poem to slip into my pocket and share with you.
blessing the boats
(at St. Mary’s)
may the tide
that is entering even now
the lip of our understanding
carry you out
beyond the face of fear
may you kiss
the wind then turn from it
certain that it will
love your back may you
open your eyes to water
water waving forever
and may you in your innocence
sail through this to that
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Clifton, Lucille. "blessing the boats". The Collected Poems of Lucille Clifton 1965-2010, 2016.
You can read more about the poet here.
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Be sure to check in with Kym, Kat, and Sarah for more poetry today, and thank you for joining us in celebration of National Poetry Month. (And remember that any time is good for poetry, not just Thursdays in April!) May you in your innocence sail through this to that ...
Oh my... what a beautiful poem, Bonny! Thank you so much for sharing it!
ReplyDeleteThis is such a great poem to start off the day! Thank you for giving me a little dose of poetry and a little boost of confidence that I can handle anything the day brings!
ReplyDeleteI just love that poem! It is one of my very favorites -- and it is a perfect pocket-poem. (No matter the date!) Thank you for sharing such lovely poetry this month. XO
ReplyDeleteOh, my gosh.....St. Mary's. It's right down the bay from us. I've been watching the crab boats here go out all week putting their pots in the water for the summer and was just thinking about the dangerous job they have out there in the cold wind and rough waves. I wonder if someone is actually blessing those boats. They should be.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I wondered where St. Mary's is and now I know. I also hope that someone is blessing those boats and their crews.
DeleteThis is such a brave little poem! Thank you, Bonny!
ReplyDeleteI love Lucile Clifton and this is one of my favorite poems. Thank you for reminding me about her work.
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