I was in the mood for some Billy Collins so I went in search of my hero.
I found him at the New York Times, talking to Cheryl Strayed.
He mentioned a poem called "When," by John O'Donnell,
so obviously I now have to share that with you.
So, what was going to be a Billy Collins post is still
a Billy Collins post, but now it's Billy+.
Plus a little heart-wrenching, but that's Poetry Friday in a pandemic.
(The transcript of the interview is here.)
When
And when this ends we will emerge, shyly
and then all at once, dazed, longhaired as we embrace
loved ones the shadow spared, and weep for those
it gathered in its shroud. A kind of rapture, this longed-for
....
(Read the rest here.)
~~~~~~~~~~
Carol Varsalona is hosting the round-up at Beyond LiteracyLink.
12 comments:
Wow! Who knew anyone could write something so lovely about this?
Thank you for going on a Billy Collins hunt and finding John O'Donnell's poem. His poem is indeed heart-wrenching, but that's our reality unfortunately.
Oh, this is an absolute delight. Thank you!
Could not be more timely nor more simultaneously grieved and hopeful. I signed up for Masterclass so I could take the Billy Collins class. Less than an hour in and it's totally worth it!
It feels good to 'hear' a voice was far away that is kin to us, too, talking about our times. I don't fling open my windows to arias, but to howls each evening. Now he's made me wonder if I will miss this new habit. Thanks, Karen.
Katen, you offered me much food for thought this morning as I read the Billy Collins interview. This stood out to me:
Billy Collins
"Oh, I think poetry takes us inward, right? Poetry privileges our subjectivity. A poem tends to start out in the world and describing something, but it usually ends up going down and in inside us. But it works in images."
The silence of poetry inside is enormous. It is a soothing reflective process of arranging our thoughts. I am using the O'Donnell poem and the interview in my grad class this summer so I thank you for all you gathered for us.
Great poem! I really responded to the part of the poem expressing the sentiment that we will miss the small things, the "small kindnesses left on doorsteps" that has sprung up during this time.
Thanks so much for sharing this!
Touching and powerful poem that speaks to all of us everywhere in the world right now. That's something . . .
The O'Donnell poem is a treasure. Thank you so much for this post and Billy Collins and the poem. Love it!
O'Donnell captures so much of this unique moment of history in his poem. I had to save it in my "COVID10" folder.
Wow--this is just wonderful. I love BC, but I'm so glad you posted this instead!
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