Poetry Friday: William Stafford
January is the month in which William Stafford was born. (January 17, 1914 to be exact). There is an event at Annie Bloom’s Books next Tuesday, I hope to go. There will be selected readers and then audience participation. I am considering this poem to read aloud. ”How These Words Happen” from his book, The Way It Is: New and Selected Poems.
How These Words Happen
In winter, in the dark hours, when others
were asleep, I found these words and put them
together by their appetites and respect for
each other. In stillness, they jostled. The traded
meanings while pretending to have only one.
Monstrous alliances never dreamed of before
began, Sometimes they lost. Never again
do they separate the world. They are
together. They have a fidelity that no
purpose of pretense can ever break.
And all this happens like magic to the words
in those dark hours when others sleep.
Such an inspiration and an amazing person who’s presence is still felt after being gone sixteen years.
Anastasia Suen rounds up Poetry Friday. Thank you, Anastasia!
Happy Reading.
MsMac (hoping her words will arrange themselves in the dark)
January 9th, 2009 at 9:28 am
[...] of The Write Sisters 13. Linda (Empty Nest) 14. Stenhouse Publishers (At the Pond) 15. MsMac 16. cloudscome [...]
January 9th, 2009 at 9:45 am
What a fabulous poem — new to me. It conjures up visuals of those words coming to life as soon as we turn our backs. Thanks for sharing it!
January 9th, 2009 at 11:11 am
I’ve not seen that one before, but it really sings to me. Thanks for sharing it, Jone.
January 9th, 2009 at 11:51 am
Jone,
Like Kelly, I haven’t seen this poem before. It’s a fine selection for Poetry Friday. Happy New Year!
January 9th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
Ahh, those dark hours when others sleep – if only we didn’t need sleep ourselves!!!
January 9th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
This really grabbed me, not only for its poetic self, but because I’m a “dark-hours” writer, too.
“…I found these words and put them
together by their appetites and respect for
each other. In stillness, they jostled…”
Wonderful!
January 10th, 2009 at 8:26 am
I am mystified and delighted by those words in the dark too. Give me some of that jostling please!
January 10th, 2009 at 11:50 am
LOVE this!!! It’s the writing process, and the dark it happens for me in is the dark of early morning before the house and the world wake up. I love finding words and jostling them (or watching them jostle!!!)
I really wanted Stafford for this week, but couldn’t find any that sang to me. I guess it was your pick this time!