An Offering From A Guest

My father-in-law, Peter, like my husband and myself, is a great reader.  The three of us have very diverse taste in reading materials but sometimes, we catch something all of us like.  Into Thin Air by Jon Krakhauer was one such example, as was Blue Blood, by Edward Conlan.  Both Peter and Martin read the entire Patrick O'Brien series that the movie Master And Commander was based on.  Twenty-one books that were a total snooze fest for me, although I only tried to read one and stumbled through one chapter before giving it up as a bad thing.

They've also muddled through the Horatio Hornblower series as well.

I guess I'm just not Anglo enough to enjoy all these sea-faring adventures.  My ancestors were busy building sewage systems and hosting bacchanals and being miserable over their Oedipal complexes.

Anyway.

Peter reads a fair bit of poetry.  Every once in a while, he will come across something he will share with me.  I must admit, I used to read poetry.  Indeed, I made attempts to write poetry.  Horrible attempts that make me laugh out of sheer embarrassment now.  I don't read poetry like I should, though.  I had a college professor declare quite seriously, that American poetry has been dead since the last century.  I took that to heart.

I couldn't name a contemporary poet if you held a gun to my head.  Do haikus written on blogs count?

Peter gave me this poem and suggested I post it on my blog and I liked the poem and it's thoughts and what it conveys, so here it is.

Oh, any if anyone can suggest some contemporary poetry I should read, please do.

Reflections Of A Peacemaker

This season brings a reason for solemn contemplation.

This season brings a reason for joyful celebration.

This season brings a reason for gentle realization.

That the season brings a reason for peace in every nation.

The reason for the season is a miracle in life.

The reason for the season then can bring an end to strife.

The season and the reason are the answer to each prayer.

In all seasons, for all reasons, we much touch our world with care.

Let this season be the season that throughout the year

Let our reason be the reason that unites us

Beyond fear.

Let us join our hearts together and with those near

Let us live this gentle moment in

Each moment.

Not just here.

Mattie Stepanek

Comments

[Amy]

http://carl-sandburg.com/biography.htm
poet lauriete (sp?) for Illinois. He also wrote children's books.

http://www.shelsilverstein.com/indexSite.html
In my world Shel is the best!

Interesting, but a lot of American poets today write children's stories.

[Amy]

Dr. Seuss....

I know that's a stretch but you can't deny his poetry ability.

[dragonlady474]

This is late but Merry Christmas Lisa, to you and your family. Have a Happy New Year as well!
BTW, I agree that Dr. Seuss was a great contemporary poet.

[Rob]

Bill Moyers did a book called "The Language of Life" that features a number of great poets. It has also has some pretty interesting interviews with the poets. It's a good way to read a pretty wide range of poets and poetry and see what you like (and what you don't!).

[Africableu]

I never liked sea stories either... hmm.

I was sort of "off" poetry for many, many years (the result of an over-ambitious teacher who thought poems were only poems if they were written by the beat generation - Ginsberg - ugh!) until a few years ago, when I discovered Billy Collins. He was the U.S. Poet Laureate in 2001, and his poems are funny, serious, and best of all, READABLE. This link as some info on him, and on the left, links to some examples of his poetry.

http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/278

Oh! And I've never seen a sea poem in his collection yet...