Hello friends! Last month we celebrated Earth Day and today I am pleased to feature a poem that has been selected by the United Nations in March 2001 for its reading series “Dialogue Among Civilizations Through Poetry.” The poem was read at places around the world which were seen as “international ground,” including the United Nations building in New York, a spot on Mount Everest, the South pacific and a site in Antarctica.
The poet is a companion of the Order of Canada, the British-born, Canadian-reared Patricia Kathleen Page was considered among Canada’s most esteemed writers. She died on January 14, 2010 at the great age of 93.
Planet Earth
by P. K. Page (Canada)
It has to be spread out, the skin of this planet,
has to be ironed, the sea in its whiteness;
and the hands keep on moving,
smoothing the holy surfaces.
“In Praise of Ironing” Pablo Neruda
It has to be loved the way a laundress loves her linens,
the way she moves her hands caressing the fine muslins
knowing their warp and woof,
like a lover coaxing, or a mother praising.
It has to be loved as if it were embroidered
with flowers and birds and two joined hearts upon it.
It has to be stretched and stroked.
It has to be celebrated.
O this great beloved world and all the creatures in it.
It has to be spread out, the skin of this planet.
The trees must be washed, and the grasses and mosses.
They have to be polished as if made of green brass.
The rivers and little streams with their hidden cresses
and pale-coloured pebbles
and their fool’s gold
must be washed and starched or shined into brightness,
the sheets of lake water
smoothed with the hand
and the foam of the oceans pressed into neatness.
It has to be ironed, the sea in its whiteness.
and pleated and goffered, the flower-blue sea
the protean, wine-dark, grey, green, sea
with its metres of satin and bolts of brocade.
And sky – such an 0! overhead – night and day
must be burnished and rubbed
by hands that are loving
so the blue blazons forth
and the stars keep on shining
within and above
and the hands keep on moving.
It has to be made bright, the skin of this planet
till it shines in the sun like gold leaf.
Archangels then will attend to its metals
and polish the rods of its rain.
Seraphim will stop singing hosannas
to shower it with blessings and blisses and praises
and, newly in love,
we must draw it and paint it
our pencils and brushes and loving caresses
smoothing the holy surfaces.
(Prior publ.” The Hidden Room (The Porcupine’s Quill, 1997, two volumes))
Notes by Susan MacRae:
I have several reasons why I submitted P.K. Page’s poem “Planet Earth” for Dialogue Poetry. First, the message of the poem — that our planet must be loved — is so vital a message for the 21st century. Second, the glosa form of the poem (an early Renaissance form first developed by poets of the Spanish court), with its opening quatrain written by another poet, followed by four ten-line stanzas, their concluding lines taken consecutively from the quatrain, and the sixth and ninth lines rhyming with the borrowed tenth, is in itself a dialogue between two poets: the poet who wrote the quatrain, and the poet writing the glosa. The glosa form itself then reflects the theme of a dialogue of poetry across civilizations. And finally, P.K. Page as a poet and painter has been my hero (as well as many other Canadians’ hero) for the brilliance of her poetry and the clarity of her vision in her 50-year long career. As a tribute to a gifted artist as well as a wonderful person, it is my great honour, and Canada’s honour, to have P.K. Page’s poem ‘Planet Earth’ be read throughout the world as a message of peace.
If you are interested to know more about the glosa form, Samuel Peralta first discussed PK Page and form here.
Have you written a poem in tribute to another poet? Do you see poetry as a means for international dialogue between nations and across civilizations ?
Happy Monday ! Grace
Happy spring day everyone ! I hope you enjoyed reading the glosa poem by our celebrated Canadian poet.
It was a wonderful poem, and the 4 lines by Neruda was also so well chosen..
I certainly enjoyed the poem. What a wonderful message, to love the earth. I do think poetry is the language of love, not just romantic love, but universal love. And how I wish we had poetic discussions among nations instead of wars. So glad this beautiful poem was read in international lands on earth day.
When the message is universal, like to love the earth, I believe that poetry cuts across the nations ~ It would be wonderful isn’t it – to have such discussions instead of wars ~
Happy to note that you like the poem Myrna ~ Enjoy your week ~
I had never heard of the glosa, as a form. It certainly seems to be an interesting form for a poetic dialogue across cultures but also time.
I think I have only managed to write 1 or 2 glosa poems, and they are indeed very challenging ~ What I like about the glosa poem is you take inspiration from a poem you admire & use his/her lines at the end of each stanza ~ Thanks for dropping by Gabriella ~
An interesting form for MTB maybe.
Yes it’s one to repeat again.. but every time I’ve written one it have taken me many hours of writing.. so if I remember correctly there were not too many linking up when Sam had it.
We can let the poets know in advance so they can prepare for it, ha ~
I think I was not around yet when Sam was a dVerse staff member.
My turn to prove you wrong *smiles* you wrote this to the last prompt Sam had https://gabriellaswritingcorner.wordpress.com/2014/01/30/adventure-by-sherwood-anderson-dverse/
Lol!
It’s hard to remember all you have written.. but I do remember the one I wrote for that prompt..
I do too actually but not that it was for Sam.
Actually…great minds! grinning. Tomorrow I am Bartender and I am asking people what poet inspired them to write poetry and which of their poems stand out to the person and to write a poem in the style of the poet which inspired it. LOL, I sort of did that with the cathacresis prompt. And….tada!!!! Will be linking a poem I wrote as a teenager in the style of my poet. So…years in the making as it were.
I do like the poem posted today. This is what we need more of – words that draw us together instead of forcing us apart.
What a beautiful message in the poem of P.K. Page, Grace. I can also understand why she might be a hero of yours. I like the idea also of poetry creating international dialogue. I think of forums, such as dVerse, where we have poets from many countries….in our own small way, I think, we create such dialogue.
I agree Mary ~ I think we are lucky to have such “dialogues” every week, regardless of where we are ~ When our message is universal, it reaches to everyone I believe regardless of faith, race & cultural differences ~ Have a good Monday 🙂
Oh I still remember doing the glosa… and I did one from the poetry of Karin Boye, and the week after one on Highway to hell, later I have done a few more… and I agree it’s a way of having a dialogue… I have also tried tan-renga where you make a tanka out of another poet’s haiku… I think having this dialogue is a great way of finding inspiration… As many of you know we have also done collaborative poetry with poets across the world… I’m a strong believer in poetry as a dialogue.
Yes, having a collab poem is certainly one way of having a dialogue Bjorn ~ I remember now, the tan-renga is also another form to weave the voices of many into one beautiful poem ~ I want to try another glosa – maybe we can have it again under MTB, smiles ~
I would love it.. I have written a few since then.. I also remember we had a poet here who wrote double glosa, where she wrote 8 stanzas interweaving the last lines of quatrains of 2 different poets..
Wow. Is there a link for this poem? I’d love to read it.
Oh I think she has been gone from dVerse while now.
Oh, too bad. I’m sure it was lovely!
I had a frisson of memory as I re-read the Planet Earth poem: When Sam gave us the prompt to write a Glosa, mine (the first I’d written in that form) was on PK Page’s Glosa based on Neruda’s poem, so the dialogue became a trialogue (is that a real word?)! Love for Planet Earth is a constant thread through my writing. Thank you for reminding us.
I still recall how many hours it took to write a glosa for the prompt… many many hours…
It took me a long time to write a glosa too ~ Nice inspiration Viv, a trialogue is wonderful ~
Would a “multilogue” be feasible? Folks at dVerse each contributing a stanza? or maybe, several people coordinating and then linking the final version?
I have done this almost monthly now with others for a couple of years .. by email though..
By email would certainly make it easy to pass around and make changes or additions. I did a collaboration last year that left a bad taste in my mouth, but I’m always willing to try things again. You the folks at dVerse very well. I imagine there would be an excellent group to come up with something really special.
I actually was not aware of the poetic form but have been working for several months on a poem with quotes from Eliot’s The Wasteland, not knowing I was doing an accepted form. Now I know more, I am going to go back and do a lot of cleanup and at some point, hopefully in this decade, finish it and post for OLN. Thank you so much for the beautiful poem used and for introducing this oh so interesting form.
Not in a decade, smiles ~ For the glosa, you use 4 lines from another poet’s work, and weave it in your poem as the last line of each stanza ~ It takes a lot of time, but the whole effect is stunning specially when the subject seems to be different, yet put together, puts it in a different light ~ Who have thought ironing applies to mother earth ~
It was incredible imagery in that poem. I was doing that with 5 lines but one of them seems extraneous. I truly have been working on this for a long time. And finding out more about the rhyme pattern, stanzas, etc….heck, I just talked myself out of it 🙂 I’ll put it away for a bit and one of those hot sleepless summer nights, jump back into it. Who knows, maybe by 2020
This is beautiful, Grace! I’ve never read any of Page’s poetry, but now I really want to! I am so glad you published this today… the glosa form is gorgeous and it is something I may try myself!
Her poems are truly amazing ~ Thanks for dropping by, smiles ~
You’re welcome… thanks for such a lovely post!
Reblogged this on The Rattling Bones and commented:
A wonderful tribute to not only PK Page, but also to Planet Earth!
please make comments on dverse’s blog. Comments here are disabled!
I have approved your comments ~ Yes, its a beautiful tribute to Planet Earth ~
thank you 🙂
I’ve never done a glosa (I think I will have to try one though!) I recently wrote a piece that does pay tribute to a song “What a Wonderful World” (sung by Louis Armstrong). I wrote that one on April 30, since that day was UNESCO International Jazz Day.
Yes I read that one Bryan.. a wonderful tribute.
Nice to be inspired by a great musician ~ Sometimes I find my muse when listening to a lovely music ~
Maybe it’s just me, but I usually take several hours to write most all of my poems, doing the research, taking notes, writing it in long hand, then blue penciling it, then typing up the document, searching for a quote to use as header, looking for an image that resonates with it. I think I did a glosa poem for Sam, hard to recall.
I did write a poem about Sylvia Plath, describing her life & her suicide, and used both her voice & my own, so maybe it met Grace’s criteria; also wrote a couple about Bukowski. In terms of “poetry as dialogue”, I’m a firm believer in including that often; especially in my Cinemagenic poems, which are 50% dialogue. Now in terms of collaboration with another poet, I have been approached a few times, but a poem has not materialized yet.
Glenn.. you did a wonderful Glosa on Sams prompt… http://bibliosity.blogspot.se/2013/05/lenny-wept.html with a tribute to Leonard Cohen 🙂
Sylvia’s poems are something else so it would be challenge to weave her voice with one’s own ~ I have been following your cinemagenic poems Glenn and noted the dialogues as well as the sound effects are very much utilized ~
What a beautiful selection. We definitely need a constant reminder of the preciousness of our earth. I think I will try my hand at this form of poetry as I had not heard of it before.
Yes, I have honored other poets in writing. Maya Angelou is one of my most treasured poets and upon her passing I wrote this in tribute: http://tamstarz.tumblr.com/post/87244104972/upon-further-reflection-for-maya
Upon Further Reflection (For Maya)
Your loss is not a taking, but a giving
It allows us to stop and reflect not only on you and what you left us, but also on the lives we’re living
You gave us your best and sprinkled it out like stardust
In your poetry and guidance we trust
Because
Upon further inspection, your words were us
Blown up beautiful, articulated with elegance and rhythm – a song
You saw who were all along
A value
A prize
A gift
A miracle
You sang us out strong and lifted us with lyrical
We are not one hit wonders
We’re operas and novellas
Sunsets and siestas
Deeper than a well
Stronger than gems
We’re the luxe lines you wrote with your talented pen
We’re a lovely beginning and an enchanted end
Thank you for sharing. Safe and glorious journey, my inspirational friend
And on Thursday it’s Open Link.. a wonderful opportunity to link up any poem you like 🙂
Great!
Such a lovely tribute to Maya ~ Thanks and see you in the coming days 🙂
Thank you!
I’ve written about Jane Kenyon and Mary Oliver–two of my favs who are so tuned into the Earth. As for loving Earth–I’m currently listening to an audio-recording of Barbara Kingsolver’s “Flight Behavior”–a somewhat disturbing novel that tunes in to the effects of global warming, written in the most incredibly beautiful poetic prose inclusive of a strong does of science. I strongly recommend it. And listening to the author read it makes some long travel by car go by with ease.
And thank you for the wonderful post–a new form (to me) to get me off my writer-less backside, perhaps.
I admire Mary Oliver’s poems on nature & mother earth ~ I will check out your poetic prose Victoria ~ Thanks for dropping by~
Victoria, I just finished the Flight Behavior – enjoyed it – but always like Kingsolver.
Grace, I love this poem too – remember reading it at the time and running across it several times since. May copy it in one of those beautiful journals I have stacked up by the bed 🙂
Poetry in its immediacy, can speak to so much of what is happening in our world. Its always interesting to see the micro poetry on Twitter as world events unfold.
I am not into Twitter nor its micro poetry but I know some poets who are active & share their words as events unfold ~
Thanks for dropping by Kathleen ~
this poem reminds me that it’s so hard to think long term – and earth is long long term.
Yes, it is ~ And who could have thought that ironing had anything to do with it ~
ironing is an act with the future in mind.
Thanks for introducing me to P.K. Page. I have to admit, to my shame, I did not know of her, nor have I read anything by her. The perfect poem for Earth Day and beyond.
As for the glosa form, I’ve only known about that in a dry academic fashion (the technicalities of it), but have never attempted one myself. I think I will want to try one to stretch myself at some point, but it looks HARD! Still, nothing like trying, failing, getting up and trying again, right, to get the poetic juices flowing…
The glosa form is a challenging form & a great way to honor a poet you admire very much ~ Thanks for dropping by Marina ~
I have one almost ready for OLN.. it still needs some trimming.. anyone