Friday, October 22, 2010

Poetry Friday: Notes From the Other Side


It's a big weekend for the KidLitoSphere. Caboodles of KitLit bloggers will convene in Minneapolis for KidLitCon, which starts tonight.

I was that close to joining a Poetry Friday panel (and was honored to be asked) but I was fairly certain this wouldn't be a good weekend for me to travel, and I was right. So, while I will not be in Minneapolis, I'll be thinking of some dear friends and Poetry Friday pals who will be, hoping that they have a grand time and take home loads of literary and poetic memories.

On to Poetry Friday here at home ...

My poem this week is a poignant one from Jane Kenyon, and I'm sending it out to my friend, Suzie Andres, who, like me, loves Kenyon's work and the One who is "mercy clothed in light."

Notes from the Other Side
by Jane Kenyon

I divested myself of despair
and fear when I came here.

Now there is no more catching
one's own eye in the mirror,

there are no bad books, no plastic,
no insurance premiums, and of course

no illness. Contrition
does not exist, nor gnashing
....

Read the rest here, at Poets.org, and visit Andi at A Wrung Sponge for the round-up.

5 comments:

Amy L V said...

I love Jane Kenyon too... We will miss you on our panel, but hopefully we'll all meet again at another one of these events - maybe a poetry event! A.

Andromeda Jazmon said...

I am sorry to be missing the poetry panel too. I hope they publish something somewhere to let us listen in! The twitter hashtag is #kidlitcon2010 I believe.

The Kenyon poem is a little too much on the negative side for my taste. I'd rather hear more about the mercy and light than all that's left behind. Maybe just my mood this morning?

Karen Edmisten said...

Amy, hope the panel was a lot of fun!

Andromeda, I can see what you mean but I loved the idea of no plastic and no insurance premiums. :) Also, I just found this so touching knowing that Kenyone died of leukemia, however, I don't know where this poem fits into her life and illness.

laurasalas said...

I love Kenyon--thanks for sharing this. Andi, the way I read it, it was only the negative stuff that was left behind, so I found it very positive. But, still, it is about the other side, and that can't help bringing to mind all the wonders left behind, too.

Karen, wish you could have been here in Mpls for kidlit con. Next time!

Karen Edmisten said...

Thanks, Laura -- yes, I'm hoping for next time!