I love to listen to poems read or recited by those who love them. One Christmas when I was a little girl, my parents gave me a reel to reel tape recorder. I was a nuisance with it, I'm sure... slipping in and taping conversations that shouldn't be recorded between my parents, eavesdropping and playing some kind of spy thing... High tech spying for a child of the sixties, I guess. Finally, I had my grandmother read a poem.... she read about a little snowman melting and nothing left after he came in to warm but a "puddle on the floor." And she read, of course, my favorite poem from her: The Owl and the Pussycat.... went to sea in a beautiful pea green boat. They took some honey and plenty of money wrapped up in a five pound note." I don't remember the rest, but I'm sure it's all there in my memories. She had the whole thing memorized and almost always recited it to me as I drifted off to sea of dreams in a beautiful pea green boat myself.
When I stumbed across this web site called Favorite Poem Project, I was mesmerized. There are videos from people across the world, telling about their favorite poems, reading the poem, and just sharing a bit of why the poem is special. I love looking at those. Some are cute, some are sad. Some are haunting. It's a nice little ten minute or less snippet of time to fill a moment in our already packed day... But, I grabbed a cup of pecan torte coffee and listened to President Clinton read his poem, and to a Jamaican born baker read about the Banana Man this morning... I think my favorite is, so far.. "From the Holy Longing." It is quite sad, but so reminiscent of one of my dearest friends who lost a daughter in an automobile accident more than ten years ago. This little woman from England truly takes to heart what my friend has lived, as well... It is kind of sad, but really truly sweet... The little boy with a baseball bat is cute, too... and fun.... Take a look when you have time... And what's your favorite poem if you were asked to contribute?????
1 comment:
Hello, I enjoy your writings!
I have many favourite poems myself and it's hard to think of just one.
I choose 'Sometimes', by Sheenagh Pugh. It's always fun when somebody asks for best-loved poems...a nice way to share.
Sometimes things don't go, after all,
from bad to worse. Some years, muscadel
faces down frost; green thrives; the crops don't fail.
Sometimes a man aims high, and all goes well.
A people sometimes will step back from war,
elect an honest man, decide they care
enough, that they can't leave some stranger poor.
Some men become what they were born for.
Sometimes our best intentions do not go
amiss; sometimes we do as we meant to.
The sun will sometimes melt a field of sorrow
that seemed hard frozen; may it happen for you.
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