When Will It Drop?
The poem Otherwise comes to mind as I thank G-d for the many personal blessings that I have today and pray to have tomorrow and onwards. I cited the poem here and kind of like the eclectic musings from last September.
Well, I suppose everyone heard (see NY Times here) that a new poet laureate of America has been appointed. We're all going to have to get used to the change. At least it's decided and behind us and now we have to put our trust in her leadership and in G-d's guiding of her hand.
Here's one of her poems. Short poems are not in. True confession - I like short poems:
The Other Shoe
By Kay Ryan
Oh if it were
only the other
shoe hanging
in space before
joining its mate.
The style reminds me a bit of Samuel Menashe. Not many out there that good - to my mind. She seems like an out of the box person. She's been teaching the same one course for 30 years. Menashe is more unconventional than that even. Between that and other factors such as his advanced age the odds are ridiculously low that he'd ever get the title. It's a minor miracle that he's been recognized at all during his lifetime.
Good night and G-d Bless
Fatefully five syllables
Haiku friendly phrase
posted by rabbi neil fleischmann @ 11:58 PM
3 Comments:
I wonder who elected her?
sounds like the decision is made, after advisement, by one man:
"Poets, editors, critics and academics around the country offered advice to James H. Billington, the librarian of Congress, about whom to choose to succeed Charles Simic as the nation’s 16th poet laureate, who was appointed 2007. Ms. Ryan’s work has “this quality of simplicity; it’s highly accessible poetry,” Dr. Billington said. “She takes you through little images to see a very ordinary thing or ordinary sentiment in a more subtle and deeper way.”"
Oh if it were
only the other
shoe hanging
in space before
joining its mate.
I like the thought but don't love the execution. Why "hanging in space?" I get the sense it's not essential, just there as filler. And "joining its mate?" That's irrelevant. The point of waiting for the other shoe to drop is not the reunion of the shoes; it's a metaphor for a dreaded, anticipated event. Of course I'm nitpicking, but if poems are going to call your attention to the specific word and phrase, as they ought, then close examination of same is warranted.
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