Friday, August 14, 2009

And The Days are Not Full Enough by Ezra Pound & Other Poems


AND THE DAYS ARE NOT FULL ENOUGH
By Ezra Pound

And the days are not full enough
and the nights are not full enough
and life slips by like a field mouse
not shaking the grass.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A BIRD
By Sheila Wingfield

Unexplained
in the salt meadow
lay the dead bird.
The wind
was fluttering its wings.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

HOW TO KILL A LIVING THING
By Eibhlin Nic Eochaidh

Neglect it.
Criticize it to its face.
Say how it kills the light,
traps all the rubbish,
bores you with its green.

Continually
harden your heart,
then
cut it down close
to the root as possible.

Forget it
for a week or a month.
Return with an axe.
Split it with one blow.
Insert a stone

to keep the wound wide open.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

All poems are from: "Good Poems for Hard Times" edited by Garrison Keiller


13 comments:

kj said...

oh that third poem, marion. i'd heard it before but it was great to see it here--i love the images. the "insert a stone' "to keep the wound wide open'--i get this...

hey dear friend, did you get my email? i HAVE to know if you are upset with me about being at # 11 instead of # 7. i'll think the worse if you don't tell me...

xoxo
kj

Wine and Words said...

Relating most to "HOW TO KILL A LIVING THING". Been the killed, been the killer. Wish it weren't so on both counts, but there it is...wound wide open.

Bonnie Zieman, M.Ed. said...

Marion: What a lovely post. I had never read the third poem - it's incredible. Thank you for bringing it to me - such a gift!

Rikkij said...

Marion-yes the third one strikes. How many children's spirits have been destroyed by this? How many hearts of the romantics? Too much gardening is a bad thing. some times we need to just let the wild things grow. Loved them all~rick

Marion said...

Glad you all enjoyed the poems. Annie, I'm so happy you're back. Yes, I, too, have been both. Love & Blessings to all....

Marion said...

You are so right, Rick. At this time of the year, I'm all gardened out and my Morning Glories are running wild as are the Moonflowers, Tomatoes and Peppers. I don't care, I let them have their way. Love & Blessings, dear friend of my heart...

Kelly said...

Good poems! I obviously haven't been through all the poems in my copy of that book since I haven't seen those...

Judith Ellis said...

For me, all three poems deal with unfulfilled purpose.

Rikkij said...

Marion-knew you'd mention tomatoes! guess i'll learn to love them. much love, Dear Friend
~rick (I love morning glories)

Woman in a Window said...

the stone in the wound got me. it was bad enough before but that stone. that was tactical!

Here's me shaking grass...

I understand now, Marion, your love of house and home. Actually, I did before and six months ago you and I would have held hands on the issue. It's been something of a revelation that this home doesn't mean as much to me as it once did. I believed I would be here as long as I was alive and able. I am all over this house and through the yard. Or at least, I was. It is startling how quickly the undoing of such beliefs can take place (for me) under revelation. I feel lighter for it, but I do appreciate how your heart is rooted right along beside your trees.

Love peppers, morning glories and tomatoes. Never have seen a moonflower but here. Right now we're eating peas and beans from our garden. It sure beats shopping for produce at Walmart!

Marion said...

Erin, believe it or not, I do understand both of our points of view. I mean I REALLY do. At one point, I would have left running and never looked back at even a blade of grass. Sometimes, I wish I had. Others, I'm not so sure. I think part of it's age. But then, maybe not. I am in a totally FUNKY mood this week. So, for this week, consider me a tree. Love and Blessings and Hugs!!!!!!

Renee said...

How to kill a thing broke my heart.

Love Renee xoxo

Marion said...

I know, Renee, me too. Great poem! Blessings!