a poem for derek walcott

 

'Heart, you are in my heart as the bird rises,

heart, you are in my heart while the sun sleeps,

heart, you lie still in me as the dew is,

you weep within me, as the rain weeps.'

-- Adam’s Song, Derek Walcott

i still can’t read that without tears.

all my heroes are dying.

i know someone else said that.

it’s still true. they’re dying.

it is not a metaphor,

but cold, hard fact.

like a body

and its longing.

God weeps as i weep.

us both saddened

by his passing.

will we ever see his like again?

i know someone else said that.

it’s an honest question.

*

i will miss your strength,

the way your words were centered

in experience, edging the epic,

fishing for meaning.

i will miss the sails reflecting

the light, measuring the horizon.

catching the wave, always moving.

the way you set the hook.

april is national poetry month!

in two weeks, it will be national poetry month, and once again i am planning to write a poem per day for the duration of the month as part of #NaPoWriMo.

in both canada and the united states, this is an opportunity to celebrate poetry, and the myriad ways in which it enriches our lives and speaks to the human experience.

both the league of canadian poets and the academy of american poets have some ideas for how to celebrate. the canadian contingent even has a theme - time.

i would love it if you would join me on this adventure, whether as a writer or a reader (or both).