Point-of-View Makes a Difference

I published earlier versions of one or two of these poems here but recently rewrote all four and combined into one poem called – for obvious reasons – Perspectives. Enjoy!

PERPSECTIVES: a suite

i.
Two children in kindergarten
professed their love for me
at the school where I work,
but they are five years old
and will not remember me
in a month or two,
while I am now past seventy 
and will remember them both
for the rest of my days.
 
ii.
The hawk’s thin screech
rings every bit as sweet
as the cardinal’s song
when the sun returns
after days of dreary grey,
bare cottonwoods as lovely
as the dogwood in May,
hissing swans a symbol
of gentility and peace,
even the deer herd made welcome
if they avoid the hydrangeas,
which finally flowered last spring.

iii.
On sunny days 
we forget and forgive,
but on gloomy days remember 
those who have wronged us
and how much we detest 
the call of the crow.

iv.
Waves break rock into sand
over eight or nine million years
while we return to dust
in a handful of decades
and foolishly think it forever.

The bookstores in Michigan’s Leelanau Peninsula have been extremely helpful in bringing SLOW RIVERS to readers. Bay Books in Suttons Bay hosted me for a fun reading in April, Pamela Grath at Dog Ear Books in Northport is a big supporter, and I recently received an extremely nice email* from a reader who bought SLOW RIVERS at Leelanau Books in Leland. Rachel Zemanek opened The Folded Leaf in Cedar this summer; check out her new store if you’re traveling that way. I urge readers to purchase SLOW RIVERS through a local bookstore when possible and will continue to recommend bookstores which support my work here on this blog.

Reading at Bay Books with poets Les Dalgleish (left) and Larry Mawby.

*”I purchased the Slow Rivers collection (of poems) at the wonderful bookstore in Leland in June. The poems were delightful and insightful – several really touched my heart. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and talent.” (J.S.)

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A New Poem Every So Often.
(No regular schedule right now; life gets in the way.)

Joseph Neely, all rights reserved.