Thursday, February 06, 2025

Poetry Friday: VII by Wendell Berry


This ("Sabbaths, 2005, VII") is a beautiful one from Wendell Berry. 

It begins like this:


I know I am getting old and I say so,
but I don't think of myself as an old man.
I think of myself as a young man
with unforeseen debilities. 


and ends like this: 


...And you, who are as old
almost as I am, I love as I loved you
young, except that, old, I am astonished
at such a possibility, and am duly grateful.


And now you must go here to read the dozen or so lines between that exquisite beginning and that sublime ending. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Carol Varsalona has the Poetry Friday round-up today at Beyond LiteracyLink


(Image by Mirka at Pixabay.)

40 comments:

Carol Varsalona said...

Karen, the poem is powerful -knowing aging is upon us but not thinking of ourselves as ol is a great thought. "I love these lines from the poem. Time is neither
young nor old, but simply new, always
counting,
Thanks for this wonderful poem.

Karen Edmisten said...

I love those lines, too, Carol. Thanks for stopping by!

Denise Krebs said...

Oh, Karen, you always pick out such winners. This is lovely. I can say with Wendell Berry:
"...that, old, I am astonished
at such a possibility, and am duly grateful."

Janice Scully said...

I love the idea that even though we might be old, every day we are new. What a gift love is at any age.

Linda B said...

Every word, a gift, Karen, and the ending will take me through this beautiful day! I am grateful for Wendell Berry & your sharing!

Karen Edmisten said...

Thanks, Denise, and oh, yes, I love those lines too. ❤️

Karen Edmisten said...

Yes, Janice, new every day. Such a gift.

Karen Edmisten said...

It makes me happy to picture this one accompanying you through your day, Linda. ❤️ I'm grateful for you too!

Margaret Simon said...

As I spend more time in this world, I appreciate all that my parents went through to stay together, to grow old, and to "love as I have loved you young." Thanks for this beautiful poem.

Anonymous said...

Thank you Karen for pointing me to Wendell's Poem. I have read other works of his but not that one. I certainly can relate to it.

jama said...

Wow -- what a poem (new to me). Just exquisitely stated, so full of wisdom, powerful. Much to ponder, to be inspired by, and be grateful for. Thanks so much!

Susan T. said...

Oh, Karen, I love that. What a great poem for today. Have you read Wendell Berry's novel "Hannah Coulter"? If not, I highly recommend it. I just read it last fall, and it's one of those books I didn't want to end.

Sarah Grace Tuttle said...

I do love Wendell Berry! Thank you for sharing a poem of his I did not know.

elli said...

Love W.B. — have got one of his collections in my morning book basket. Thank you, Karen, for sharing this one.

mbhmaine said...

When I saw that you were sharing a Wendell Berry poem, my heart lifted. And then it rose even more as I read the beautiful lines you shared. Love is such a triumph. Thanks for sharing this today!

Irene Latham said...

This poem is a great companion to "When You Are Old" by WB Yeatts. Thank you, Karen! xo

Rose Cappelli said...

Thank you for this loveliness! I've read other Wendell Barry poems, but this is a new one for me.

Karen Edmisten said...

Susan, yes, Hannah Coulter is one of my favorite novels. Have you read Jayber Crow? It's also set in the world of Port William. I didn't think it could possibly be as good as Hannah, but I absolutely loved it. Beautiful book!

Karen Edmisten said...

My pleasure, Sarah! He has SO MANY POEMS, and there are so many I don't know yet. It's a lifelong mission. :)

Karen Edmisten said...

My pleasure, Margaret!

Karen Edmisten said...

Anonymous, I can relate too. :)

Karen Edmisten said...

You're welcome, Jama! Yes, I love Berry's calm wisdom and gratitude.

Karen Edmisten said...

elli, starting your day with Berry sounds like a lovely idea. ❤️

Karen Edmisten said...

Molly, it's such a beautiful one, isn't it?

Karen Edmisten said...

What a beautiful pairing, Irene! Yes.

Karen Edmisten said...

Rose, you're welcome. We can't really go wrong with a Berry selection.

Susan T. said...

Karen, I have Jayber Crow on my shelf, but have not read it yet! I'm so happy to hear that it's up there with Hannah Coulter.

laurasalas said...

Karen, thanks for this perfect poem to read right around my wedding anniversary. The older I get, the *more* grateful and astonished I am that my husband and I have made it this far (with some very tough times in there!).

Carmela Martino said...

Oh, I love the closing lines both before and after reading the whole poem. Thanks, Karen, for introducing this poem to me!

Linda Mitchell said...

Wow, wow and again, wow. This poem is one of those that hits home and home and home. Thank you. I've got these lines in my journal now.

Heidi Mordhorst said...

Beginning and ending, sure, but for me today it's these middle lines:
There is no science for this, or art either.
Even the old body is new—who has known it
before?—and no sooner new than gone, to be
replaced by a body yet older and again new.
which speak to the challenge I feel (yes, in my own body, full of awkward surprises) and in our body politic, our joint body of humanity which seems to grow no wiser, only crankier and crueler. Berry's words are a little like --well, elbow grease, but more elegant!

Mary Lee said...

Sigh. Thanks for this, for a dose of Wendell. These lines echoed my experience: "and no sooner new than gone, to be
replaced by a body yet older and again new."
My body never ceases to surprise me!

Karen Edmisten said...

Enjoy it, Susan!

Karen Edmisten said...

Laura, us too! :)

Karen Edmisten said...

Carmela, my pleasure! It's such a lovely one.

Karen Edmisten said...

Linda M., "hits home and home and home" — yes!

Karen Edmisten said...

Heidi, yes, those lines are exquisite and I love everything you said here!

Karen Edmisten said...

Mary Lee, I am constantly surprised these days. :)

Jane @ www.raincitylibrarian.ca said...

My grandmother would always say that she never *felt* old, and sometimes when she looked in the mirror, she would be surprised to see an "old lady" looking back at her!

Karen Edmisten said...

100% Jane. I'll be 65 in a couple months and I still feel ... I don't know? 40-ish? When I look at my hands, I see my mother's hands. :)