A Gathering of Poetry | 8.17.23

by | Aug 17, 2023 | General, Poetry | 6 comments

A Gathering of Poetry | 8.17.23

I have been thinking about what poem I would share with you all this month for a couple of weeks… going back and forth between several poems that seemed just so perfect for August. This morning I decided that Late Summer by Jennifer Grotz was the winner (but really there were no losers!)

Late Summer

by Jennifer Grotz

Before the moths have even appeared
to orbit around them, the streetlamps come on,
a long row of them glowing uselessly
along the ring of garden that circles the city center,
where your steps count down the dulling of daylight.
At your feet, a bee crawls in small circles like a toy unwinding.
Summer specializes in time, slows it down almost to dream.
And the noisy day goes so quiet you can hear
the bedraggled man who visits each trash receptacle
mutter in disbelief: Everything in the world is being thrown away!
Summer lingers, but it’s about ending. It’s about how things
redden and ripen and burst and come down. It’s when
city workers cut down trees, demolishing
one limb at a time, spilling the crumbs
of twigs and leaves all over the tablecloth of street.
Sunglasses! the man softly exclaims
while beside him blooms a large gray rose of pigeons
huddled around a dropped piece of bread.

Jennifer Grotz, “Late Summer” from The Needle. Copyright © 2011 by Jennifer Grotz.

And a tiny poetry bonus for you all:  One of my favorite podcasts is Poetry for All which is taught by Joanne Diaz and Abram Van Engen. I say taught because the hosts are both English professors. Every episode I learn something and my love for poetry grows! This month’s episode was all about the Haiku… specifically Haiku from Kobayashi Issa. I have not stopped thinking about this Haiku they shared… I simply love it. (and you will have to listen to the short, but incredibly informative episode to learn about translating Japanese into English and that our 5-7-5 structure for a Haiku might not be quite right.) They read two additional Issa Haiku that are equally brilliant. If you need a little something for your ears today, I think you will love this episode… give it a try!

Now please go visit Bonny and see what poems she will gather today…poems to share… poems to read… poems to savor!

Have a great week and I will see you all back here next week!

 

Related posts:

A Gathering of Poetry | 1.19.23 A Gathering Of Poetry | March 2023 Thursday’s are for Poetry | 4.20.23 A Gathering of Poetry | July 2023
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6 Comments

  1. Bonny
    Bonny on August 17, 2023 at 8:13 AM

    The language in that Late Summer poem is just stunning, along with the pictures it paints for my mind. Just perfect! And thank you for the poetry bonus. I’m saving it to listen and savor during a quiet time later today. Thank you!

  2. Kym
    Kym on August 17, 2023 at 9:02 AM

    What a beautiful poem, Kat. So perfect! (And thanks for the poetry bonus. I have a busy day today, but will look forward to listening when I need a break in the action!) XO

  3. Vera
    Vera on August 17, 2023 at 9:58 AM

    Late Summer is such a beautiful poem and it screams August to me. And the Haiku links – thank you, thank you, thank you. Issa’s haikus are wonderful!

  4. Sarah
    Sarah on August 18, 2023 at 7:22 AM

    This poem is just perfection. It captures this time of year so well! And thanks for the links. I have so much to learn about poetry, and I suspect much of what I know about haiku is just plain wrong.

  5. karen
    karen on August 18, 2023 at 9:37 AM

    Haiku is my favorite of poems and I’ll have to give that episode a listen. I love late summer and your poem because that means early fall is around the bend.

  6. Jane
    Jane on August 21, 2023 at 5:33 PM

    What a beautiful poem. I am taken by the line “Summer lingers, but it is about endings . . .” The language is so elegant. I am slowly catching up on blog reading and entering comments in one post. So I will add: I enjoyed your museum post about food. It is so much a part of our lives and histories. The quilt squares are charming. I’m glad you are enjoying the stitching. Hitch on the Move is so you. The colors are beautiful.

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