It's Good We Only See Each Other Once a Week
by Phillip Lopate
It's good we only see each other once a week.
A young man about to move in with his fiancée
died of a sudden heart attack at twenty-six.
One hears these stories all the time.
The heart is trained to handle deprivation,
not unforeseen happiness. Just as when you
throw your arms around me I start to overflow,
but then I think of course, where was she before?
I deserve it and a lot more besides—
your love gets soaked up quickly
and I pull back brooding over something
I never had.
But don't stop on that account, keep going.
(Read the rest here, at The Writer's Almanac.)
The Poetry Friday round up is being hosted today at Teach Poetry K-12.
4 comments:
Karen,
Phillip Lopate is a great essayist. This poem reads like some of his essays.
Laura Evans
It's so hard to trust that the goodness and joy that come our way are actually meant for us, and can be a permanent condition if we just let them...
Karen, I receive Writer's Almanac too but sometimes pass it by due to lack of time. Thanks for pointing this one out - it is sweet. Makes me feel a little like I've been missing out on the good stuff. Maybe it's not too late. :)
By the way, Garrison Keillor will be in town on September 1, the day before my birthday. So my mom, hubby and I will be going to hear him banter on an outdoor stage. I hope it's not raining. I'm looking forward to it!
All best with the new book, by the way. It's gorgeous. I'd love to have you on radio sometime to talk about it.
I'm so glad you all liked it!
Have fun with Keillor, Roxane! I could listen to him for hours. His voice is like a soft rain pattering on the roof. And an early happy birthday to you!
And, I'd love to talk about the new book with you.
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