Friday, July 19, 2013

Poetry Friday: Richard Kenney's "March"


Richard Kenney - Poet...
Richard Kenney is one of my favorite contemporary poets. Why? Formal dazzle, perfectly tuned wit, expansive intellectual curiosity, brilliant ear for the music of the words. 
...and teacher.
I saw one of his poems today and thought I would share it, even if it's not March. I'm feeling bloom-ish, not sure why. Maybe it follows from my last post, where I reflected on abundance. Or maybe it's just the word "plums" in the last line - I've been in love with cherries since June but as August approaches, I feel myself tempted by plums. Late August, maybe a mango poem.




March

Sky a shook poncho.
Roof   wrung. Mind a luna moth
Caught in a banjo.

This weather’s witty
Peek-a-boo. A study in
Insincerity.

Blues! Blooms! The yodel
Of   the chimney in night wind.
That flat daffodil.

With absurd hauteur
New tulips dab their shadows
In water-mutter.

Boys are such oxen.
Girls! — sepal-shudder, shadow-
Waver. Equinox.

Plums on the Quad did
Blossom all at once, taking
Down the power grid.



Kenney's latest book is The One Strand River. Definitely get it and read it.  You can see more of  his work online at thepoetryfoundation.org

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The Poetry Friday round-up this week is being hosted by Jone at Check It Out. Head over there to see what other people have posted.

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4 comments:

  1. Irene LathamJuly 19, 2013 at 5:55 AM

    Julie, I don't know which I love more, the poem or the fact that you are feeling bloom-ish. :) Nice, both. Thank you for sharing... and yay for plums! (drove through central CA last week past plum orchards)

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  2. Michelle Heidenrich BarnesJuly 19, 2013 at 7:25 PM

    "Brilliant ear for the music of the words" is right! Thanks so much for sharing.

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  3. GatheringBooksJuly 20, 2013 at 2:58 AM

    Hi there Julie, this is the first time I heard of Richard Kenney. March is my favourite month and this is a lovely poem. Thank you for sharing it and for introducing us to a wonderful poet. Will check out the book you just shared.

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  4. CharlieAugust 15, 2013 at 5:18 AM

    Fantastic!

    ReplyDelete