Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Writers are Lovers


of mystery
as you can see
from the words of a poet.
Take, for instance, Robert Frost,
who in early adulthood stepped away
from poetry attempting to appease his family
with completion of higher academics, brief stints
in teaching, and reporting news slanted with a poetic view--
 
he once went on to describe a flagpole in front of the post office
as beauty with a majestic eagle who, in a mighty gust of wind,  
perched atop a pole by a stately white building,
adorned the heavens until a dreadful hunter
came along and shot it dead, that fool,
when merely the wind
knocked it down--
 
does a reporter write like that? No, only poets such as Robert Frost,
whose steps away from writing only led him back to feather pen,
can sustain wedding nights where hasty visitors knock
at cabin doors, when all around the deserted woods
no other light shines, and one is left wondering
if perhaps the stranger was the bride's true
love left with missing clues.


**

Poetic inspiration:
PU Verse First- Writers are Lovers
3WW~ dreadful, hasty, sustain

28 comments:

Brian Miller said...

i wonder if more people would watch the news if it was done by a poet? we def tend to see things just a bit differently...smiles..and hey you taught me a little of frost as well...

Sherry Blue Sky said...

I am ALL FOR poets writing the news! Laurie, your poem is a wonder - I especially love the last stanza with hasty visitors knocking on cabin doors.

Brother Ollie said...

I honed in on the Robert Frost reference, but your poem tells a great story.

Susan said...

I find this description of a poet's perspective fascinating, humorous, sobering ... What powers we have!

Anonymous said...

Oh, a nice taste of Mr. Frost and his style!

Mary Ann Potter said...

A story of importance here, Laurie. We are missing artistry and imagination in so many aspects of our lives. I loved your idea here.

Anonymous said...

oh, that's a great story! thanks for sharing that.

Anonymous said...

Format, form and substance - this works so well, Laurie.

Kathryn Dyche said...

So many things would be better with a poets touch.

alan1704 said...

no other light shines - The light of truth and the giving of love, both found here in your words. Love how you have worked this to such great effect.

ninotaziz said...

Poetry and storytelling. Can't beat that, Laurie!

Mary said...

A true writer, even if he takes steps AWAY from writing, will eventually be drawn back. I like your example of Robert Frost. He just HAD to write, and we are all SO glad that he did!!

Gabriella said...

I did learn something about Robert Frost Laurie thanks to you poem. And I think that if you have writing in you, it will always be there and eventually come back.

Sheilagh Lee said...

ooh so good I love this

Gail said...

Wonder sight and sounds.

Peggy said...

I wrote for a newspaper for many years and I did try to make my stories poetic -- at least as far as I could!!

Siggi in Downeast Maine said...

I think Brian's idea of poets writing the news is a wonderful idea. It would definitely be more interesting.

I enjoyed your telling of Robert Frost in a poem...a story all in its own. I learned some thing I didn't know...and see him as a person and a poet.

Peace
Siggi

Rosemary Nissen-Wade said...

Wonderful poem, Laurie! And I learned some things I didn't know about Mr Frost.

Old Egg said...

What a great post for aspiring writers to allow their minds to take great leaps with the language to colour the world.

Jae Rose said...

Feather pen..what an uplifting image..and writing is a lover of sorts..with all attendant moments of joy and frustration..

Eileen T O'Neill ..... said...

Laurie,

Thank you for sharing your undoubted warmth for Mr Frost and his feather pen. Superb!!!

Eileen

Stacy M.S. said...

the last stanza is breathtaking!

i'd much rather write poetry, any day, than news!

stacy lynn mar
http://warningthestars.blogspot.com/

Sarav said...

Laurie, Robert Frost was/is one of my favorite poets and yet, I didn't know that fact about him--cannot imagine him as anything but an amazing poet--I think he would have loved this poem--Beautiful!

Karen said...

I'm with Sherry and Brian on this one. The news might be more bearable if it were written by a poet. On the other hand, it might wrench us so we would be stunned and shaken.

This is wonderful. The last stanza is especially beautiful.

Lisa A. Williams said...

If the news were written by poets, our hearts would be touched instead of tuning out the way most of us do. Beautiful poem!

Tracy Crenshaw said...

I'm so glad Robert Frost went back to poetry. Beautiful poem. I loved the end.

Elliot MacLeod-Michael said...

Fabulous tribute to literary titan. Would like to read more of his reportage.

aspiritofsimplicity said...

I like this very much. The shape of it is wonderful. And, I love Robert Frost...I was just walking in a yellow wood yesterday.