Time for the Poetry Project, organized by Lu and Kelly. August’s Poetry Project theme is Pulitzer Prize winning poetry. Of course, you can read and post about any poetry you choose. I’m planning on reading the work of several Pulitzer winning poets I’m not familiar with but would like to start off with one of my favorites, W.S. Merwin.
Thanks
By W.S. Merwin
Listen
with the night falling we are saying thank you
we are stopping on the bridges to bow from the railings
we are running out of the glass rooms
with our mouths full of food to look at the sky
and say thank you
we are standing by the water thanking it
smiling by the windows looking out
in our directions
back from a series of hospitals back from a mugging
after funerals we are saying thank you
after the news of the dead
whether or not we knew them we are saying thank you
over telephones we are saying thank you
in doorways and in the backs of cars and in elevators
remembering wars and the police at the door
and the beatings on stairs we are saying thank you
in the banks we are saying thank you
in the faces of the officials and the rich
and of all who will never change
we go on saying thank you thank you
with the animals dying around us
our lost feelings we are saying thank you
with the forests falling faster than the minutes
of our lives we are saying thank you
with the words going out like cells of a brain
with the cities growing over us
we are saying thank you faster and faster
with nobody listening we are saying thank you
we are saying thank you and waving
dark though it is
Copied from Poets.org.
“with the forests falling faster than the minutes
of our lives we are saying thank you
with the words going out like cells of a brain
with the cities growing over us
we are saying thank you faster and faster”
I like this one in particular. Beautiful. Like a harmonious litany. But the message is clear–to me, that is. Growing older, I am discovering many things to be grateful of, including your post. So thank you for sharing. :)
i like merwin’s poems ,all the best stu
WS Merwin is quickly becoming one of my favorite poets. Thank you for joining in and thank you for sharing this poet!
I found this haunting in a few ways:
we are saying thank you faster and faster
with nobody listening we are saying thank you
we are saying thank you and waving
dark though it is
I’m glad you shared.