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I'm a Minnesota Girl, living in the south. I tell my friends I try not to talk and think like a Yankee, but sometimes I slip up!

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

FreeVerse - "Sorrows"

Host Cara Powers of FreeVerse published a two-line stanza poem today of decidedly contemporary poetry that gave the reader strong images. To continue that theme... here's a poem from Lucille Clifton, who often approaches her contemporary topics in a mouth-dropping way. This one puts incredibly visual small stanzas to paper to describe "Sorrows".
It's a wondrous little poem. It's linked to:


FreeVerse


SORROWS
by Lucille Clifton


who would believe them winged
who would believe they could be

beautiful who would believe
they could fall so in love with mortals

that they would attach themselves
as scars attach and ride the skin

sometimes we hear them in our dreams
rattling their skulls clicking

their bony fingers
they have heard me beseeching

as i whispered into my own
cupped hands enough not me again

but who can distinguish
one human voice

amid such choruses
of desire



6 comments:

Kelly said...

This is a Lucille Clifton that I don't think I've seen before. It's not in the only book I have of hers (at least not that I could find...)

Powerful!! And as always, you matched the perfect picture with the poem.

Marion said...

A wonderful poem, Quid. I have this one book-marked. I love the photo you posted with it, too. A perfect marriage of words and photo. Blessings!!

Cara Powers said...

Wow. Thanks for introducing me to Lucille Clifton. The picture really adds meaning to the poem, or maybe clarifies it for me. Thanks again.

Valerie said...

I'm a huge fan of Lucille Clifton, and I'm glad I got to revisit this poem here. The picture you chose goes well with this poem!

Pam said...

Wow, oh Wow! A powerful Clifton! Grabs me hard; leaves me breathless.

Anonymous said...

Quid,

Lucille Clifton's poem struck
a deep chord with me too.

It's so powerful and concise!

Raven