I'm hosting next week on Valentine's Day, sweetest day of the year! Be sure you prepare some sugary love!
I've been reading a book by Billy Collins that came into the bookstore, one I didn't know titled The Trouble with Poetry and other poems. In one poem, "Monday" he begins with
"The birds are in their trees,
the toast is in the toaster,
and the poets are at their windows."
Continuing, Billy Collins speaks of others at their work, like "The clerks are at their desks,/the miners are down in their mines,/and the poets are looking out their windows." You can imagine some of the rest, and you can listen to Billy reading it here!
Instead of writing anew, I started reading through some of the poems I've written and realize, in some, though not all, I was looking out my window. Here's a new one, followed by some previously written, "out my window"!
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| my pine carries winter's burden- glad to be limber - |
Here are a few more:
sun glistens on lacy skirts,
dripping into memory
eyes on the sky
imagining stories,
cloud prompts
tree scene,
corvid cast of players,
look out below –
sun sets
on a precious life,
words remembered
camera caught,
magpie in the snow,
didn’t linger
What's out your window?
What a beautiful post. So many lovely lines come alive from you looking out your window. That magpie, those trees with lacey skirts. Hooray for Valentine's Day. Sugary love? Hmmmm. I need to get thinking now!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Linda, today looking out at MORE SNOW! Glad to get you thinking about that 'sugary love'!
DeleteYou capture the poet's number one job here: looking. I have written so many poems looking out my windows. In my office now, I mostly see rooftops and sky. I miss the closer up nature and birds I used to see more frequently in her previous homes, but there's something expensive about the longer view too. enjoy your new Billy Collins book. That's one of the ones that got me hooked on him. He is one of my very favorites!
ReplyDeleteYes, looking always. I do love Billy Collins, too, & this book is a found treasure to add to my others, Laura. Since you'll be writing from different places, you'll gain so many "new" window views! Thanks!
DeleteYes to looking out the window! You've got a winner with that limber winter tree, Linda... so so beautiful. Thank you! xo
ReplyDeleteThank you, Irene, it's a favorite tree 'out my window'!
DeleteThese "out the window" poems are so lovely. I, too, like the limber winter tree; also the lacy skirts :).
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jama, it was a surprise to find that I had so many that were written from my view. Snowing today so I'll do a lot of looking out!
DeleteYour poems show such beauty out of your window. Enjoy your snow today! We haven't had much this winter, but I am blessed with the views out my window--trees and ponds and rolling hills.
ReplyDeleteI always love the 'views' you share, Kay. You live in a beautiful place for sure! Thanks! I think this might be our biggest snow so far this winter!
DeleteHey, I just finished reading a new (used) Billy Collins book too! The one I read was QUESTIONS ABOUT ANGELS. So many lovely haiku, Linda. My favorites are "my pine" and "sun sets."
ReplyDeleteAh, another one to put on my list! Happy to read about it, Michelle. Thanks!
Delete"and the poets are at their windows..." I love that! Your poems capture such beauty out your window. Each of them is a lovely snapshot of a moment. I spend a great deal of time watching birds through my window, and they've inspired many a poem. Great post!
ReplyDeleteBilly Collins knows the truth, doesn't he? Thanks, Molly!
DeleteThese are wonderful, Linda. I especially love your limber pine tree. Between your post and Buffy's challenge, I may not move from my window all weekend!
ReplyDeleteHa! And yes, time to look & look for Buffy, isn't it? Thank you!
DeleteLinda: Thanks for this Billy Collins poem, and for all the scenes out your window. We just had a conversation about the importance of windows, how seeing out keeps us sane. I like the corvid one... good prompt for further writing. And crows are SO interesting!
ReplyDeleteOh, I have more than one poem about crows. They are everywhere in the neighborhood, but I struggle getting a picture close up. I love them, so, so smart! Thanks, Karen!
DeleteI love your pine haiku, Linda. Trees and people alike need to be limber with their burdens. "Cloud prompts" made me smile. Enjoy your view!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Tabatha. We had much more snow yesterday & the pine was shrouded in snow this time.
DeleteA lovely collection, Linda - but what exquisite words on your second; sun glistens on lacy skirts, / dripping into memory.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kat, it was fun to see how many I had written "out my window".
DeleteWonderful stuff today, Linda! Looking forward to your party next week!
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to the party, Ruth. Thanks!
DeleteI want to write in response to those cloud prompts! (Maybe we should use that as a water prompt one day this month.)
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure others see what I see, Laura, but I am often posting pictures of clouds, and what to me is there. Perhaps I'll use one for my second share with the group? Thanks for hte idea!
DeleteThat ending to Billy Collins poem was fantastic–what a twist, from the dry humor,
Delete"the stone caught in the throat of her poet lover." How familiar that window is to me…Thanks for "your" window poems Linda and especially this one,
"sun glistens on lacy skirts,
dripping into memory"
Billy Collins simply pleases me with every poem, Michelle. I love that you liked this poem, too. Thank you!
DeleteLove seeing what's outside your window and the poems that are inspired by your view! Always something new to learn (had to look up corvid).
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ramona, it was a fun post to write, then discover my own 'views'.
DeleteOh this is all so lovely. It reminded me that so much of my inspiration for writing does come from looking out one window or another. You never know what you might see and where it might take you. -- Christie @ https://wonderingandwondering.wordpress.com/
ReplyDeleteBilly Collins got it right, I agree. Thanks, Christie!
Delete"...because it is their job for which they are paid nothing every Friday afternoon." I love it. :) A new-to-me Collins poem! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI also love the view from your window, Linda. "Corvid cast of players" is perfect.
Thanks, Karen, I'm glad you enjoyed it all. As you can tell, I love Collins' words, too.
DeleteIf it's good enough for Billy Collins, I guess it's good enough for us too! Lots of my poems start from window staring too--a great way to catch some inspiration. Love your pine lines.
ReplyDeleteYes, as you can see, all of us agree about those windows! Thanks, Buffy!
DeleteYour poems and photographs are wonderful testaments to your gift of noticing and taking pleasure in the world around you, Linda.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Tara. I know you spend time looking out at your gorgeous views, too.
DeleteLinda, last week was a blur since I was helping out in Virginia with the grandddaughters, so I totally missed the Valentine request for this week's Valentine's Day PF. I love looking out my window to see what's happening. Your poetic observations, such as "my pine/carries winter's burden-/glad to be limber -" are thoughtful noticings. This haiku touched me: sun sets/on a precious life,/words remembered (nature has a way of touching life-one of my friends died unexpectedly at our gym). What's out my window: two feral cats/cozying close together/winter love
ReplyDeleteI know exactly why you missed this PF, Carol. Granddaughters keep one very busy, plus everything else is so much less important, right? I hope you had a wonderful time with them. Thanks for loving looking out the window, too. I think we all do! Love knowing about your feral cats!
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