BlueIris
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Thu Nov-20-08 11:10 AM
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The BlueIris Semi-Nightly Poetry Break, 11/20/08 |
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"Fifteen"
South of the bridge on Seventeenth I found back of the willows one summer day a motorcycle with engine running as it lay on its side, ticking over slowly in the high grass. I was fifteen.
I admired all that pulsing gleam, the shiny flanks, the demure headlights fringed where it lay; I led it gently to the road, and stood with that companion, ready and friendly. I was fifteen.
We could find the end of a road, meet the sky on out Seventeenth. I thought about hills, and patting the handle got back a confident opinion. On the bridge we indulged a forward feeling, a tremble. I was fifteen.
Thinking, back farther in the grass I found the owner, just coming to, where he had flipped over the rail. He had blood on his hand, was pale- I helped him walk to his machine. He ran his hand over it, called me good man, roared away.
I stood there, fifteen.
—William Stafford
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Tuesday Afternoon
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Thu Nov-20-08 11:23 AM
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BlueIris
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Thu Nov-20-08 12:56 PM
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2. I hope C-Peg sees this one. She likes Stafford. nt |
Tuesday Afternoon
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Thu Nov-20-08 01:22 PM
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5. I like this one...I am not familiar with any of his stuff.. that I can recall. |
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I have missed a lot of your threads. Did you post his stuff in the past? We are online at different times.
This one reminds me of a poem I wrote some years ago,
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CaliforniaPeggy
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Thu Nov-20-08 01:09 PM
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And indeed I do like Stafford!
This is so real and yet lyrical...
Just a moment's adventure...
We get caught up in it completely!
Thank you...
:hi:
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BlueIris
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Thu Nov-20-08 01:19 PM
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Westegg
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Thu Nov-20-08 02:29 PM
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6. Stafford is great. Should be better known... |
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...or maybe he is. I don't know. I don't follow the poetry world the way I should. He was one of my late mother's favorite poets. She sent me a book of his in '83 and I've been hooked ever since. Quarter-century of loving Stafford? I guess that makes me a fan.
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BlueIris
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Thu Nov-20-08 02:41 PM
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7. Westegg!! I was beginning to think you were gone for good. |
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But I know that pesky "writing a novel" thing can be time consuming.
I've found that Stafford is known by some, but not by all. I find him to be underrated as a poet, despite the fact that he was widely published in all the leading literary journals of his day.
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Westegg
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Thu Nov-20-08 02:46 PM
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8. BlueIris, I almost WAS gone for good... |
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...but my reasons for leaving some months ago had to do with several factors-- work responsibilities, family duties, but also an ego problem that I think I've made some progress correcting. I remember discussing Stafford with you in the past, and so it was really sweet today to read a wonderful poem of his I hadn't read before. I thank you for that.
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Mon May 06th 2024, 02:19 AM
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