The BlueIris Semi-Nightly Poetry Break, 11/20/08

[BlueIris]

"Fifteen"

South of the bridge on Seventeenth
I found back of the willows one summer
day a motorcycle with engine running
as it lay on its side, ticking over
slowly in the high grass. I was fifteen.

I admired all that pulsing gleam, the
shiny flanks, the demure headlights
fringed where it lay; I led it gently
to the road, and stood with that
companion, ready and friendly. I was fifteen.

We could find the end of a road, meet
the sky on out Seventeenth. I thought about
hills, and patting the handle got back a
confident opinion. On the bridge we indulged
a forward feeling, a tremble. I was fifteen.

Thinking, back farther in the grass I found
the owner, just coming to, where he had flipped
over the rail. He had blood on his hand, was pale-
I helped him walk to his machine. He ran his hand
over it, called me good man, roared away.

I stood there, fifteen.

—William Stafford

[Tuesday Afternoon]

1. love it ...

thanks :donut: :hi:

[BlueIris]

2. I hope C-Peg sees this one. She likes Stafford. nt

[Tuesday Afternoon]

5. I like this one...I am not familiar with any of his stuff.. that I can recall.

I have missed a lot of your threads. Did you post his stuff in the past? We are online at different times.

This one reminds me of a poem I wrote some years ago,

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. My dear BlueIris!

And indeed I do like Stafford!

This is so real and yet lyrical...

Just a moment's adventure...

We get caught up in it completely!

Thank you...

:hi:

[BlueIris]

4. Ah, there you are.

:-)

[Westegg]

6. Stafford is great. Should be better known...

...or maybe he is. I don't know. I don't follow the poetry world the way I should. He was one of my late mother's favorite poets. She sent me a book of his in '83 and I've been hooked ever since. Quarter-century of loving Stafford? I guess that makes me a fan.

[BlueIris]

7. Westegg!! I was beginning to think you were gone for good.

But I know that pesky "writing a novel" thing can be time consuming.

I've found that Stafford is known by some, but not by all. I find him to be underrated as a poet, despite the fact that he was widely published in all the leading literary journals of his day.

[Westegg]

8. BlueIris, I almost WAS gone for good...

...but my reasons for leaving some months ago had to do with several factors-- work responsibilities, family duties, but also an ego problem that I think I've made some progress correcting. I remember discussing Stafford with you in the past, and so it was really sweet today to read a wonderful poem of his I hadn't read before. I thank you for that.