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81st Virtual Poetry Circle


Welcome to the 81st Virtual Poetry Circle!

Remember, this is just for fun and is not meant to be stressful.

Keep in mind what Molly Peacock’s books suggested. Look at a line, a stanza, sentences, and images; describe what you like or don’t like; and offer an opinion. If you missed my review of her book, check it out here.

It’s a new year, and if you haven’t heard there is a new feature on the blog this year . . . my first ever, poetry reading challenge.  Yup, that means everyone should be signing up because all you need to do is read 1 book of poetry.

I’m going to highlight a poet I’ve interviewed for 32 Poems Magazine, Danielle Sellers, whose interview will appear on the blog on Feb. 9, from her book, Bone Key Elegies:

Elegy for a Living Girl (page 40)

She’s autistic, with thick glasses.
Her eyes are koi eyes under pond-sheet.

She earns a jellybean if she spells her name.
A-S-H-L-E-Y is rice glued to cardboard.
Her voice rises an octave on the Y.

She moves heavy fingers along the letters
as she says them. She likes pink jellybeans.
I persuade her to spell her name again.

Behind the curtain wall Miss Dapper plays
Für Elise out of tune for Wally.
The awful strains hang above our heads.

Ashley eats her prize. Hands, moving free
from her body, flutter against her face,
wave the air, telling me she’s happy.

Can you sing a song? I ask.
She sings second alto,
slow with effort: I can sing a rainbow,
sing a rainbow, sing a rainbow,
sing a rainbow…

She slaps me hard in the ear
and, like church bells, chants
God damn it. God damn, damn, damn, damn…

Let me know your thoughts, ideas, feelings, impressions.  Let’s have a great discussion…pick a line, pick an image, pick a sentence.

I’ve you missed the other Virtual Poetry Circles.  It’s never too late to join the discussion.

Comments

  1. Definitely a surprise ending. I could picture this scene in my mind, the images were so vivid.

  2. really lovely poem! the repetition is fantastic. this definitely made me want to read more by this author. looking forward to receiving her book.

  3. Ooh this is so interesting. That change in the last stanza is so sudden and I like it. I especially like:

    and, like church bells, chants
    God damn it. God damn, damn, damn, damn…

    So good.