How many of you have a favorite poem? Think about it. You must have one. From Early to bed, Early to rise, Makes one happy, healthy and wise , to “The Song of Hiawatha” or one of my favorites, “Evangeline.”
Each poem is like a little piece of time travel. That’s really the beauty of poetry. It has the ability to take you back to that very sparse moment that the poet experienced. A true poet can capture both massive and microscopic events and portray them in words with the same vibrancy and grandeur. One man writes about the tragedy of Gettysburg, while the other muses on the delicate way Autumn’s first leaf touches the ground. One makes me cry as Evangeline’s canoe slips past the one in which her beloved is sleeping while another one reflects on the bygone virtues of the anonymity of those who fill the graves in a small country churchyard. This is why I love poetry. All moments, both large and small can be captured the same. Think of national anthems. Some are loving and sweet and some are bellicose but, in every case, they become the core of the citizenry.
Think of religious hymns. They are poems that proclaim what we believe. The following poem is one I picked out for its sweet cynicism and poignant humor. It is one that makes me think. I have visited it and revisited it many times over the years. It always takes me from the surface to the depths. Hope you enjoy it too. My Madonna – by Robert W. Service
I discovered him some 20+ years ago. His work is vast and varied. I am a "mood" reader of his.
Enjoy.
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