Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Scots Corner - Carry A Poem 2010

There's an interesting event called Carry a Poem, going on in Edinburgh at the moment. Their City of Literature reading campaign started on the 1st and will run all month. Lots of events are planned and thousands of books and poetry pocketcards will be given away (presumably to the locals).
Visit http://carryapoem.com/ to find out more.

So what is your favorite poem and when were you introduced to it? What memories does it bring back to you? Do you carry it around with you and how?

3 comments:

ilovebabyquilts said...

My favorite is this excerpt from an Anne Sexton poem "Hurry Up Please It's Time":

Ms. Dog prefers to sunbathe nude.
Let the indifferent sky look on.
So what!
Let Mrs. Sewal pull the curtain back,
from her second story.
So what!
Let United Parcel Service see my parcel.
La de dah.
Sun, you hammer of yellow,
you hat on fire,
you honeysuckle mama,
pour your blonde on me!
Let me laugh for an entire hour
at your supreme being, your Cadillac stuff,
because I've come a long way
from Brussels sprouts.
I've come a long way to peel off my clothes
and lay me down in the grass.
Once only my palms showed.
Once I hung around in my woolly tank suit,
drying my hair in those little meatball curls.
Now I am clothed in gold air with
one dozen halos glistening on my skin.
I am a fortunate lady.
I've gotten out of my pouch
and my teeth are glad
and my heart, that witness,
beats well at the thought.

Oh body, be glad.
You are good goods.



I love it! It was written in the early 70's and it reminds me of our foresisters and all they went through so that we can have the freedoms we enjoy today. I carry it in my heart. When I am tempted to call myself fat in the mirror I remember that this body has birthed three children and I tell it instead, "you are good goods."

Dawn said...

Hi Carol and great to meet a fellow Scot!
I live in Aberdeenshire on the north east coast..
My fav poem would have to be Tam 'o Shanter, my dad was a great Burns fan and I remember being fascinated by the wonderful words..

Dawn

pajudie said...

My favorite poem is "Birches" by Robert Frost. He writes of the birch trees that are bent over and likes to think of small boys "riding" them. My girlfriend and I used to "ride" the birch trees in back of my house - we would climb up them until they bent to the ground and then push off and enjoy the ride - great memories!!!
Judie