Poets in Performance with Bill Moyers

Celebrating National Poetry Month

Here is another one from Bill Moyers & Company:

"What if some of the greatest poets in America came together to read their works, and you were the only person in the audience? It might be something like this, and a great way to celebrate Poetry Month."

Over the years, Bill Moyers has welcomed some of America’s best poets to share their works and inspiration. Many of those writers have performed at the Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival, which Bill and his colleagues covered for television specials including Fooling with Words (1999), The Language of Life (1995) and Sounds of Poetry(1999). Below, enjoy a showcase of such poetry from past productions and very recently from Moyers & Company, performed by the poets who dreamed them up, or by other artists who, like Bill, simply adore poetry.

Go here to see an astounding line up of poets with Bill Moyers.

Sitting in Minerva's Kitchen

Celebrating National Poetry Month

Starry Night by Jean-François Millet

The Long Deep Breath

I first met poetry as a warm starry night – and cloudless.
Wordless joy, both dazzling and calm
Steadfast and ever-moving.
No desire to leave.
She was a quieting immensity.

I later discovered that I in my blindness
I had only seen one fin of the whale,
One eye of the elephant.
I had heard only one note of the symphony
And thought it profound.

Rilke warned,
“Beauty is nothing but the beginning of terror.”
When I found her more beautiful
Than a thousand artist’s portrayals
I needed some respite from the sight,
I sought a moment to breathe that calming rhythm
Of starry night;
A chance to clothe myself
In ordinary time.

There is magnificent joy in poetry’s muse –
And holy terror.
One welcomes on those days

The distraction of a friend
Wearing plain vanilla.
A sight for sore eyes;
The balm of Gilead;
A wordless cup of tea.

One welcomes that long deep breath

Taken while sitting

In Minerva’s kitchen

During ordinary time;

Thankful for memories

Of holy terror,

Yet just as thankful

For a wooden chair

And a cup of tea.

                        ~ Charles Kinnaird

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Celebrating National Poetry Month

Because April is National Poetry month, I plan to post new poems during the month of April.  I have in my notebook ideas for poems “when I have time to get back to it.” But life gets busy, doesn’t it? Sometimes our lives are busy with petty busy-ness, while Life proceeds to tell us to slow down from all our frenetic actions.  What better way to slow down and listen than to stop to write a poem?  What better time than during National Poetry month?

Look for my first poetry post tomorrow. I'll also have an essay or two about poetry I'll be shariing in later posts.



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