Nature Poets (Sealey Challenge)

My final post for the Sealey Challenge. It’s exciting to only have one poetry book left to read this Sunday. This has been a good challenge for me to find new poets and learn about new techniques. Feeling inspired to try out some new styles.

Dog Songs by Mary Oliver 

Mary Oliver is my all-time favorite poet. Dog Songs is a special book for me. I love dogs. So a poetry book about dogs is the cherry on top of my ice cream sundae. My favorite poem in this collection was The Poetry Teacher. 

The university gave me a new, elegant

classroom to teach in. Only one thing,

they said, “You can’t bring your dog.”

“It’s in my contract,” I said.

(I had made sure of it.)

 

We bargained and I moved an old

classroom in an old building.

Propped the door open.

Kept a bowl of water in the room.

I could hear Ben among other voices, barking.

howling in the distance. Then they would all arrive–

Ben, his pals, maybe an unknown dog

or two, all of them thirsty and happy.

They drank, they flung themselves down

among the students. The students loved

it. They all wrote thirsty, happy poems.

Stray Birds by Andrew Robin 

Another local Washingtonian poet living on Lopez Island. I was drawn to the poet’s ability to create vivid imagery and metaphors utilizing the natural environment. This book is one long poem, and my favorite section was below.

Father

let us agree

again

to never

speak again

and let us be silent

a few months

then one of

us weaken

or both of us

forget

and drift

toward one

another

like grazing

horses

who move

as one

in a single green corner

through the whole

pasture is theirs

something

in their huge

hearts knows

everything’s

forgivable