HOW TO BE A POET
(to remind myself)
i
Make a place to sit down.
Sit down. Be quiet.
You must depend upon
affection, reading, knowledge,
skill—more of each
than you have—inspiration,
work, growing older, patience,
for patience joins time
to eternity. Any readers
who like your poems,
doubt their judgment.
ii
Breathe with unconditional breath
the unconditioned air.
Shun electric wire.
Communicate slowly. Live
a three-dimensioned life;
stay away from screens.
Stay away from anything
that obscures the place it is in.
There are no unsacred places;
there are only sacred places
and desecrated places.
iii
Accept what comes from silence.
Make the best you can of it.
Of the little words that come
out of the silence, like prayers
prayed back to the one who prays,
make a poem that does not disturb
the silence from which it came.
-WENDELL BERRY-
first of all that picture is amazing.
ReplyDeletesecond of all, this is gorgeous.
xx
emily
Thank you so much :) I took this back in the winter and it's a favorite!
DeleteAnd I agree. Wendell Berry knows what's up ;)
Um, THAT PHOTO. LOVE.
ReplyDeleteUm, YOUR SWEET COMMENTS. LOVE.
DeleteThat picture is pure poetry...very apropos for this post...
ReplyDeleteAH. This comment made me smile so largely. Thank you so much!
Delete