I enjoyed last week's Alberto Rios poem so much that I decided to share another this week. "On Gathering Artists" is an ode, a celebration, a pondering, a question, and an answer.
On Gathering Artists
by Alberto Ríos
Who does a job well, and very well—
These are the artists, those curious
Lights.
We are cobblers of the song
And barkers of the carnival word,
We are tailors of the light
And framers of the earth.
We fish among the elements
And hunt the elusive green in gray and blue.
We drink forbidden waters
And eat an invisible food.
In this time of electronic-mail and facsimile
Conversation, we send as our voice
The poem, the bridge, the circuit, the cure
....
Read the rest here, at Poets.org and revel in these lines from the next stanza:
How easy to spend a day writing a poem,
How hard to spend a life writing a thousand.
and
Who knows what to make of us?
and
... a tip of the hatTo us, as we go about
The drumming of our stars.
Oh, just be sure to go read the whole thing. It's short and you'll be so pleased you did. Especially if you are a "cobbler of the song."
~~~~~~~~~~
Jan at Bookseed Studio is hosting the Poetry Friday roundup this week.
Photo credit: Victor Dompablo
14 comments:
This one just begs to be read aloud, doesn't it? Thank you for sharing... what a way to start the day.
Doesn't it? I agree. So good.
“Tailors of the light” — I love that! Thank you for sharing, Karen❣️
I love this, Karen. Had to tuck it into my e-folder. I just came from Jama's, and your post goes so well with hers!
Love Rios!!! Hadn't seen this one, though. So many good lines. :)
So many great lines! Thanks for this affirmation.
Penelope, isn't that wonderful? I also love, "We are not the steering wheel but the headlamps."
Tabatha, I'm heading over to Jama's place soon to see the serendipity. :)
Jama, happy to share a new-to-you one!
Mary Lee, my pleasure. Thanks for stopping by.
Even though it has a different feel, this poem pairs so well with the one Jama shares today.
I've ordered a poetry book by Rios, Karen, after the poem from last week. Thanks for this one. It feels good, an exhortation for good, "the headlights", and not so much, "facsimile
Conversation." Thank you for the repeat. I loved it!
Kay, I agree! And I so enjoyed the Wendy Cope poem that Jama shared.
Linda, love that you ordered one of his books. Yay!
What an anthem for all of us, yes? Thank you for sharing more of Rios' words!
This is wonderful! I especially love the tailor of the light part. But that last stanza... It's nice to feel valued and understood, isn't it?
This poem reminded me what a special thing it is to be a creative:
"we send as our voice
The poem, the bridge, the circuit, the cure
Whose electricity is made from dreams" YES
What a gorgeous poem—Ah the ending, Thanks Karen!
"We can’t
Sit still. We hurry off. Good-bye to us,
Hello to us, a tip of the hat
To us, as we go about
The drumming of our stars."
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