entries for the contest Defining Poetry |
Grace After Grace In this moment, a nanosecond, you will defy gravity though Eve's apple has already fallen and the tree of knowledge has been felled. You will rise and unwrap the secret gift hidden in your own heart, the source of original grace And say, sit here, breathe in hope, unfurl your wings, Fly. Written for:
Sometimes you encounter a poem that grabs you by the throat, makes you print out a copy and tack it to your wall. I was not familiar with Derek Walcott's work till encountering him for this contest, but "Love after Love" is now tacked to my wall. http://judithpordon.tripod.com/poetry/derek_walcott_love_after_love.html This paen to self-acceptance and self-love spoke deeply to me. Poetry can be soul medicine and Walcott's "Love after Love" is a powerful elixir. This line ----"you will love again the stranger who was yourself".... ...opened floodgates of emotion. I also enjoyed Walcott's use of short, swift phrases that move quickly along, with simple images of potency and power--- "peel your own image from the mirror".... . My encounter with this poem was a moment of grace and that was what I tried to capture in my response. |