Category: Poets

Poem of the Morning

I came across this poem by Adrienne Rich, and thought of the work you two do at Queen of Peace. My heart is moved By all I cannot save So much has been destroyed. I…

Ancient Song by Li Po

Chuang-tzu dreams he’s a butterfly, And a butterfly becomes Chuang-tzu. All transformation this one body, Boundless occurrence goes on and on: It’s no surprise eastern seas become Western streams shallow and clear, Or the melon-grower…

“There’s Just a Meanness in This World”

On Charles Reznikoff, Testimony, v.2 The United States (1885-1915):  Recitative I can’t say I was tremendously impressed with this “broken-up prose” (wife Marie Syrkin’s label). Maybe it’s the dating—it’s way back in US history, and it’s hard…

Dharma Song

While reading Jospeh Goldstein’s One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism, I came across this “Dharma Song” by Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche. I think of so many friends at SLU who’ve done mindful walking, breathing, smiling, sitting,…

The Scholars by William Butler Yeats

Bald heads forgetful of their sins, Old, learned, respectable bald heads Edit and annotate the lines That young men, tossing on their beds, Rhymed out in love’s despair To flatter beauty’s ignorant ear. All shuffle…

A Lifetime of Letters

The Letters of Allen Ginsberg, edited by Bill Morgan (Da Capo Press, 2008) I have a file titled “Noam Chomsky” that contains several letters from the linguist during the 1990s. I first began writing him…

An Israeli Poet

The following poem by Israeli  Aharon Shabtai is translated from the Hebrew by Peter Cole. It appears in his aptly entitled collection from New Directions, J’Accuse. “War” I, too, have declared war: You’ll need to…