Welcome to OpenLinkNight everyone. As you know, OpenLinkNight is your opportunity to link 1 poem of your choice as this is no prompt-day. For those who missed the Mr Linky deadline the past week or this Tuesday’s poetics about “Turn, turn, turn“, this is also your opportunity to share your poem.
As some of you know, we are working on our next project, Poetry Forms. Our 3rd Poetry Form is the Pantoum, hosted by Gina, which is still open for the next 3 weeks. After you have linked up your pantoum, revisit Mr. Linky for many more pantoum poems.
We are in the midst of winter season but I am excited for the coming of spring. Here is a poem by Anne Sexton.
It is A Spring Afternoon by Anne Sexton
Everything here is yellow and green.
Listen to its throat, its earthskin,
the bone dry voices of the peepers
as they throb like advertisements.
The small animals of the woods
are carrying their deathmasks
into a narrow winter cave.
The scarecrow has plucked out
his two eyes like diamonds
and walked into the village.
The general and the postman
have taken off their packs.
This has all happened before
but nothing here is obsolete.
Everything here is possible.
Because of this
perhaps a young girl has laid down
her winter clothes and has casually
placed herself upon a tree limb
that hangs over a pool in the river.
She has been poured out onto the limb,
low above the houses of the fishes
as they swim in and out of her reflection
and up and down the stairs of her legs.
Her body carries clouds all the way home.
She is overlooking her watery face
in the river where blind men
come to bathe at midday.
Because of this
the ground, that winter nightmare,
has cured its sores and burst
with green birds and vitamins.
Because of this
the trees turn in their trenches
and hold up little rain cups
by their slender fingers.
Because of this
a woman stands by her stove
singing and cooking flowers.
Everything here is yellow and green.
Surely spring will allow
a girl without a stitch on
to turn softly in her sunlight
and not be afraid of her bed.
She has already counted seven
blossoms in her green green mirror.
Two rivers combine beneath her.
The face of the child wrinkles.
in the water and is gone forever.
The woman is all that can be seen
in her animal loveliness.
Her cherished and obstinate skin
lies deeply under the watery tree.
Everything is altogether possible
and the blind men can also see.
To join us for Thursday’s OpenLinkNight, which happens every other week, here’s how to join:
See you at the poetry trail. ~Grace~
Good evening… i just came up breathing… the last few days (and weeks) have been very intense… now finally I have something to write, looking back at the stress and how it felt…
I hope you’re OK, Bjorn! I too have had an intense time with my daughter and grandson and am getting ready to travel down to London tomorrow for a cultural weekend. I hope to bring back fresh ideas for poems.
It felt like coming up from almost drowning.
A bit like like Sylvia Plath, but it sounds like you’ve been drowning not waving.
Thanks for hosting, Grace. I’m off to errands with my granddaughter- shall return to read after she’s off to school in the AM.
I had some fun with my post today😊
I had some fun with your poem too…
Hi everyone! Busy day here but will get to your poems in a bit. Hope you are having a good day or night!!!!
Well I am hitting the poetry trail and sharing my commute story. I based them on real events & people though I make it more poetic than it looks (poet’s imagination). I spend an hour a day in the train so I get to see and people watch all the time. Thanks for joining in.
Hi Grace. Thank you for hosting. That’s a beautiful poem by Anne Sexton. Thank you for sharing it.
Thank you Merril. She is an amazing poet.
Greetings Grace,
Good to be back at the bar… We too are looking forward to the Spring too, after what has been an exceptionally mild winter here in the UK. And I’m pleased to say that my latest new poem of the year has just been published a couple of days ago. Along with some other exciting stuff too… and I’m certainly also looking forward to a stimulating evening’s reading tonight!! Lets all take the opportunity to de-stress!
Hi Scott! Thanks for joining us. I envy your mild winter in UK. See you in the poetry trail.
Hi Grace and All. No new snow and half-sunshine this day. The weather is looking up. Sipping a hot cuppa java and holding my hands on the cup to keep them warm. I linked a poem I just wrote for Reena’s Exploration Challenge.
Same weather here – but the ice is not melting, it is still packed cold in the side streets. Good idea to sip a hot cup of java! Thanks for joining us.
Grace, thanks for hosting. I really loved the last poem I read on your site. This is a great community of writers. Stay warm.
Thanks Ali. I enjoy sharing poems by other writers.
hey all. cold here, cloudy, then clear, then a slight snowy squall. the wind keeps it changing but is’nt pushing much else around. still a hot toddy would be nice. cheers! i tried my hand at French, if you’re fluent please let me know how it is.
Sorry I am not fluent in French. Cold here but sunshine today. Here’s a hot drink for you.
Hello Grace dVerse Poets- Adding one I wrote for Poets United today. Thanks for hosting Grace!
Hi Linda, Thanks for joining in.
Hello Dear Poets, I will be around to read. Thanks for hosting Grace
Thanks for joining us Truedessa. I am just hitting the poetry trail myself.
erbiage, I put your poem in the language translator to understand. I’m not fluent in French, but I liked it very much.
Just found time for an Ash Wednesday poem as I settle into my new home and get back into the virtual world too – thank you Grace for bringing a touch of Spring into these still wet and dark nights here -“up and down the stairs of her legs.” – an especially lovely line
Good timing Laura. I was also struck with that staircase imagery. Thanks for joining us.
Made it! Sounds like a busy time all around. Maybe we need something to sip slowly while we catch up on today’s posts. Any suggestions?
Wine perhaps after a long week. Hope you are having a good Friday.
I am, thank you. Same to you!
Aah found link. Pleased to join in for the first time. Thank you!! My poem is inspired by a beautiful artwork by a fellow blogger.
Welcome to dVerse. Thank you for sharing your wonderful words and artwork of your friend.
Thank you so much for the opportunity to share!
I just left a link to a rondelet that I wrote last week during a time of personal grief. I tried to express the grief. If only the world would use the voice it has to love instead of exclude the voiceless.
https://distractedpastor.blog/2019/02/26/you-have-a-voice-rondelet/
Your link is showing in Mr. Linky – so there is no need to leave a link in the comment section. I am sorry for your loss.
Sorry. I appreciate the sentiment. It has been a couple of rough weeks.
Sorry I am so late posting. Despite having gotten my flu shots, I have been extreme,y ill with the A-strain flu. I am now at least able to post. So here it is…
I hope you are feeling better Rob. Take care.