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239th Virtual Poetry Circle

Welcome to the 239th Virtual Poetry Circle!

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

Keep in mind what Molly Peacock’s book 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.

Also, sign up for the 2014 Dive Into Poetry Reading Challenge because there are several levels of participation for your comfort level.

For more poetry, check out the stops on the 2013 National Poetry Month Blog Tour and the 2012 National Poetry Month Blog Tour.  And think about participating in the 2014 National Poetry Month Blog Tour — signups will begin in March.

Today’s poem is from D. Nurkse from The Rules of Paradise:

Evening Practice

I asked my father,
“would you rather die
of cancer or a heart attack?
Would you rather be executed   
or put in jail for life?
Which would you rather be—
a spy or a sentinel?”
And he tried to answer
honestly, combing his thinning hair
with his fingers, thinking of something else.   
At last he fell silent. I ran out
to savor the dregs of dusk
playing with my friends
in the road that led to the highway.   
The ball flew up toward day
and landed in night.
We chanted. Every other minute
a truck, summoned by our warnings,   
brushed past in a gust of light,   
the driver’s curses muffled
by distance: the oncoming wheels   
were the point of the game,
like the scores in chalk
or the blood from scuffed knees   
that we smeared across our faces:   
so when my mother called,
her voice was quaint and stymied   
and I took all the time in the world   
trotting home past tarped barbecue pits,   
past names of lovers filling with sap,   
past tentative wind from sprinklers:
then I was stunned to see my golden window   
where all faces, hanging plants, dangling pots   
were framed by night and dwarfed   
by a ravenous inward-turning light.

What do you think?