Friday, June 05, 2020

Poetry Friday: Lucille Clifton


As per usual, I couldn't decide what I wanted to post this week. (I guess I'm a mood-poster. I'm a mood reader, too, which is why I never do well with "book challenges" or other people's reading lists.)

Late last night, I picked up the Anne Lamott book Atticus gave me for my birthday. 2018's Almost Everything: Notes on Hope opens with Lucille Clifton's poem, "blessing the boats," followed by the words, "I am stockpiling antibiotics for the apocalypse, even as I await the blossoming of paperwhites on the windowsill in the kitchen."

And I knew I had my poem for this week. Thank you, Lucille Clifton; thank you, Anne Lamott.


blessing the boats 
by Lucille Clifton

(at St. Mary’s)

may the tide
that is entering even now
the lip of our understanding
carry you out
beyond the face of fear
....

(Read the whole short and perfect poem here, at Poets.org.)

~~~~~~~~~~

Margaret is hosting the round-up this week at Reflections on the Teche.

6 comments:

jama said...

One of my favorite Clifton poems -- thank you. Now I need to read Lamott's book. :)

Ruth said...

Yes! It's a perfect poem!

Linda B said...

It is one that's perfect, Karen. Let us remember that we need to "open your eyes to water". Thank you

Mary Lee said...

Let us sail through this to that...but lose some of our innocence...

Margaret Simon said...

May you sail through this to that. Yes! I love Lucille Clifton's voice. Thanks for sharing.

laurasalas said...

What a comfort of a poem.