Poem (and Poet) of the Day

I've been busy with poetry things--it's National Poetry Month and we have poetry wrapped around our waists, worn like a scarf, poetry hats, and poetry bracelets. It's everywhere breathing hot and heavy on our necks.

Fancy Meeting You Here--
Today while having a lazy day spent PJ-clad and in bed reading magazines, having that little extra time to read all the things I normal skip over I fold open the May calendar in Oprah magazine. The calendar is full of interesting quotes on Having Faith this month and there on May 6th is a quote by my poet-friend Nancy Pagh!

Nancy is the WA state poet who just published NO SWEETER FAT and there's a quote from that book in Oprah magazine! Here's the quote, "I would like to live my way into being/someone who stands back up/and runs toward that holy forest." Nancy Pagh

It's from her poem "I Believe I Could Kneel" from No Sweeter Fat (Autumn House Press) which I'll include below--


I Believe I Could Kneel

I believe I could kneel
in so many quiet places
where the pale sponge of moss
would surely reach above
my hips as I sank down and down
as the deer must in their beds
kneeling once, then once again
to lower themselves front and back
before closing their glistening eyes.

I think I am the kind of person
down on one knee and shifting my weight
my whole life long
but capable of sinking far, and deep,
to the bottom of something
that might replace the religion I discarded
or make me really live in this body
or waste my life.

I would like to live my way into being
someone who stands back up
and runs toward that holy forest.


Nancy Pagh