Blogger's Silent Poetry Reading

A wonderful tradition, now in its fourth year.

A Blessing

Just off the highway to Rochester, Minnesota,

Twilight bounds softly forth on the grass.

And the eyes of those two Indian ponies

Darken with kindness.

They have come gladly out of the willows

To welcome my friend and me.

We step over the barbed wire into the pasture

Where they have been grazing all day, alone.

They ripple tensely, they can hardly contain their happiness

That we have come.

They bow shyly as wet swans. They love each other.

There is no loneliness like theirs.

At home once more,

They begin munching the young tufts of spring in the darkness.

I would like to hold the slendered one in my arms,

For she has walked over to me

And nuzzled my left hand.

She is black and white,

Her mane falls wild on her forehead,

And the light breeze moves me to caress her long ear

That is delicate as the skin over a girl’s wrist.

Suddenly I realize

That if I stepped out of my body I would break

Into blossom.

--James Wright

Comments

[melanie]

I love this poem -
I posted a poem by Lucie Brock-Broido at Tea Leaves today.

[Chris]

Ok, kinda eerie - but this was one of the poems I was considering!

[Erin]

I love this poem. It always makes me think of home in the midwest.

[Miss T]

Beautiful!

[Angela Nickerson]

Oh, thank you! What a wonderful mid-afternoon diversion. Ciao!

[Carrie K]

That's beautiful. There's a lot going on in that poem.