Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Tuesday Poem: Just to Say by Bryan Walpert


I came to that old poem,
folded in the leaf of a book,
and meant merely to take
a peek, like visiting a home

I’d lived a few years in long ago,
curious what had changed,
but of course it was the same,
and I couldn’t help but linger

in that meadow where we still sat
as lovers. The air rippling through
the grass carried a thought
I could nearly catch,

and still hushed the bees,
busy as always laying gold amid
the buds, while the sun slid,
endlessly of course, behind

cherry trees whose petals
fluttered like a feeling
I’d forgotten, as I’d forgotten
the scent of dusk that settled

along azaleas, the pond,
even the blanket somehow
that you had forever spread
beside the river for us to lie upon,

and it was only the foolishness
that seemed new, the kind
you feel when you find
you’ve come late to the obvious,

that even a first-time reader
should have known how soon
the end was approaching when
the jays, weaving shadow braids

between branches, sealed
the seam of the horizon,
descending to wherever it is
our oldest best selves are stored,

so forgive me if I’ve remained
too long in this poem. I’ll leave
you asleep now by the river,
murmuring the memory of my name. 


My friend Bryan Walpert, will be launching his second collection of poetry, A History of Glass at the fabulous Palmerston North City Library this Wednesday 11 April at  7.00 pm, starting with drinks at 6.30 pm at the Bruce McKenzie bookshop next door. The event is free and open to the public, so do get along and take a friend.  

I am wondering if I can get myself up there - a bit of a road trip - a bit of poetry - wind my way home.... I'll see, I have some projects needing attention this week, ones that actually involve getting paid. Hah! Now there's a thing.  

A History of Glass is beside my bed at the moment - and I dip into it regularly - a poem at a time - having read it through in one reading when it arrived in my letterbox. It is a stunning collection, each poem a complex and tasty treat, and I will review it next week. 

Another poem from Bryan's collection featured on my blog here and Bryan's No Metaphor, from a previous collection, was the first poem on the Tuesday Poem blog, so it's a fine thing to reference it this week when we're in the middle of our second birthday. 

There's a global poem going on at TP to celebrate - so far a dozen poets have posted a line each and there are more than a dozen to go, with the final poem posted next Tuesday. Do have a look! It's fun to see where it goes...  




4 comments:

Jennifer Compton said...

nice - like the homage of the title

Helen McKinlay said...

I like this very much. It is easy to be present in this poem there is such a sense of place about it. good luck to Bryan. I look forward to reading more.

Keith Westwater said...

I really like Bryan's work. Languid, languorous (as in "dreamy") spring to mind.

Michelle Elvy said...

This has such a nice flow and feel to it. I really liked reading it aloud. Wishing Bryan's launch loads of success - hope it was a good week!