Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit magnificent Margaret at Reflections on the Teche for Roundup.
This week Charles and I presented together at Helen Keller Public Library in Tuscumbia, Alabama. We also visited the Helen Keller Museum and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, and I was able to take Charles on a mini tour of Blount County, where I live. So much fun!
Over at Smack Dab in the Middle, I have some suggestions for writers who are blocked, or in a funk, or otherwise disenchanted with their writing—in other words, how to stay open in your writing life.
And today's ArtSpeak: Light poem features goats! This may be the first animal poem I've written this year...I wasn't expecting my "Light" theme to yield any animals at all. Of course it would be a goat... I mean, is there anything cuter than a baby goat?
It brings to mind my early childhood living in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where the goats climbed on everything and were known to sleep atop the cars parked along the street. We loved to play with the goats, too—chasing and petting and feeding.
Early in mine and Paul's marriage, we had two goats named Beth and Billy. They were entertaining for sure! And annoying at times...and man, that Billy could be so stubborn. "Old goat," indeed!
And here's this week's poem. Thanks so much for reading.
Wild Goats
all morning they eat the light,
try to hold sun inside
as afternoon dies,
they rest resplendent—
sometimes dreaming,
sometimes bleating stars
Oh I love "bleating stars." Happy anniversary!!
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary, Irene and Paul! Gorgeous wedding picture. :)
ReplyDeleteYour poem floats my goat...in light.
"bleating stars" = brilliant (on multiple levels)
Happy anniversary, Irene & Paul! Those goats do indeed glow with light. Lovely!
ReplyDeleteY'all were so sweet in your wedding picture! I have stars in my eyes over "bleating stars."
ReplyDeleteAw, love your wedding picture, Irene. Happy Anniversary! I played with goats while growing up at one grandparents' farm. The babies are rightly called 'kids'. I love the story of resting atop cars, and you named it, "resplendent". Have a special evening!
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary--you prompted me to ask my husband, "How many years have we been married?" He ventured a guess and then I corrected him. lol It takes both of us to figure it out these days! I love your poem and especially that first stanza. "trying to hold the sun inside" just wows me.
ReplyDeleteAnniversary and assorted memories floating up to greet you, Irene. Goats providing great poetic fodder. You have reminded me of Lionel, a goat my father bought as a replacement lawn mower all those years ago. I wrote a goat poem too. Must go looking for it...
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary to you both!
Irene, you shine as a beautiful, young bride. Happy Anniversary to both of you. Your goat poem is delightful. I love the use of the word resplendent and the beautiful images in your poem but I especially like how some words pop out in descriptive ways (eat, hold, dies). Happy Easter Weekend!
ReplyDeleteSo many delightful moments in this poem--the image of goats trying to eat the light and hold the sun inside captures something essential about a goat's way of being in the world. And "bleating stars" made me smile. Happy anniversary!
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary! I'd like to run outside and eat light. Maybe I'll just go do that. How fun that you and Charles got to have some time together. That always leads to something good.
ReplyDelete"Sometimes bleating stars" is a great line! Here's to long marriage. I got married 4 days before my 21st birthday and I feel like the luckiest person in the world. We celebrated 40 years last August. I think the trick is to marry your best friend. Happy Anniversary.
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary! I want to live like those goats, soaking up all the goodness until there's nothing for it but to bleat it back out in some way, shape, or form!
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary -- such a beautiful couple!! Love the goats poem; it's GORGEOUS. Nice to hear about your adventures with Charles in Alabama. The Helen Keller Museum sounds wonderful.
ReplyDeleteHappy anniversary!! I love how the goats eat the light and the bleat stars! What a great twist. :-)
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary, Irene! Oh those goats eating light and holding the sun inside. Beautiful image!
ReplyDeleteOh gosh! "Eating sun" and "holding sun inside" -- this is a whole new idea for me about goats (giggling!) - Happy Anniversary!
ReplyDeleteWishing you and your beau a happy anniversary, Irene! Stanzas 1 and 3 are exquisite, but let's also give a nod to the hole full of warm, resplendent afternoon light on goats that is Stanza 2.
ReplyDeleteOooooooh. This is fabulous. Puts me in mind of Madeleine L'Engle. And happy anniversary!
ReplyDeleteIrene, happy anniversary! I love your magical poem of the goats eating light and "rest resplendent" has a beautiful ring to it. Congrats also on all your presenting with Charles! Wonderful!
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