Poet Heart: #1

NIGHT - Louise Bogan

The cold remote islands

And the blue estuaries

Where what breathes, breathes

The restless wind of the inlets,

And what drinks, drinks

The incoming tide;

Where shell and weed

Wait upon the salt wash of the sea,

And the clear nights of stars

Swing their lights westward

To set behind the land;

Where the pulse clinging to the rocks

Renews itself forever;

Where, again on cloudless nights,

The water reflects

The firmament's partial setting;

- O remember

In your narrowing dark hours

That more things move

Than blood in the heart.

I studied Literature at university where I was taught to analyse, critique, and tear open poems and novels to get to the heart of what they truly meant. But never has one spoken so directly to me than the last few lines of this poem. 

"...more things move than blood in the heart."

It reminds me to look beyond myself to nature and also to live well. 

There is a little bit of regret in me that I didn't get to study Bogan's poetry, but then when we look so closely at things doesn't it remove a part of the magic that made it great in the first place? So perhaps it's better to enjoy the words simply for what they are. 

The poetry I read at college left me cold, but delving into my giant anthology of poems from across centuries of writing, I find myself picking out the ones that speak to me and that is what poetry was always meant to be. A poem to the heart of the reader.

Do you have a favourite poem that means something to you? I love for you to share it. If you'd like to share yours here on the blog, drop me an email--> paperpocketblog@gmail.com I'm going to be sharing more poems in the coming weeks and I'd love for you guys to get involved.

Peace and Love, Bloggeroo's

xo