This week we are all sharing thoughts on ‘new beginnings’ and poetry. One would think this would be an easy topic because there are so.many.poems about beginning.
At first I thought that I’d share the poem that took my hand and began my love of poetry. It is a lovely poem by Derek Walcott called Love After Love. Kym shared it on her blog a few years ago during April. I printed it out and it is on the board by my desk. I read it often. It is an excellent poem to read to yourself or better yet, listen to Tom Hiddleston read it here.
And as excellent as that poem is, I thought to myself that I should read more poems and find another that speaks to me about another beginning. Thanks to Sylvia Plath I did not have to look far. I found her poem, Morning Song and thought this is the most excellent beginning… the birth of a child. Ms. Plath reminded me of those all those feelings when I brought my Rachel home from the hospital 32 years ago. Honestly, it was such a scary thought… I was responsible for this tiny little baby! A new beginning for both of us!
Morning Song
Sylvia Plath, “Morning Song” from Collected Poems. Copyright © 1960, 1965, 1971, 1981 by the Estate of Sylvia Plath.
Please go and see what Kym, Bonny, and Sarah are sharing today!
I will be back next week for Unraveled Wednesday!
This is the perfect New Beginnings poem, Kat! I know very little about Sylvia Plath aside from The Bell Jar, so it is a pleasant surprise to read something so beautiful, hopeful, and descriptive that she also wrote. This one is going in my “poems to keep” folder.
These feelings are so familiar, even years later (especially that “cow heavy” part — I remember those times well!). Such a lovely poem and, as Bonny noted, it’s nice to read something happy and hopeful from Plath.
There are so many “new beginnings” in life! What a beautiful poem, Kat. So perfect and hopeful.
This poem is so dense with imagery…I had to pause every few lines to enjoy! Such timing for this one, too–my first baby turned 17 on Tuesday.
(And Love After Love? Does me in every time I read it out loud. I’m pretty okay if I stay silent with it, but otherwise…)
Ha! I laughed at the “cow heavy” part too…so true! And, as others have said, so nice to read an upbeat poem from Plath. Good choice Kat!
I’ve always loved that Sylvia Plath poem, her imagery is exceptional.
love this. love Thursdays in April. thank you!
What a lovely poem. It has been awhile since I read Plath. You inspire me to go back and find her poems. I love the idea of new beginnings. Each day is a new beginning and each breath is a new beginning.
I haven’t read much of Plath’s poetry, thank you for sharing!!
What a fun poem to share! Today is my middle child’s 6th birthday and now I’m taken back to my “cow-heavy” days, stumbling out of bed and not knowing what day/time of day/where I am. I especially like the lines, I’m no more your mother/Than the cloud that distills a mirror to reflect its own slow/Effacement at the wind’s hand. It perfectly captures those strange early days, who is this creature? How am I supposed to be someone’s mother??
Thank you for sharing this one!!