File under Best Laid Plans. Nearly two years ago I resolved (publicly, unfortunately) to use up my stash of poems by posting several a week. Of course they’re still here. They’ve even grown in number. All the crinkled slips of paper stuffed in my Poem Elf bag like old underwear—I can’t bear to throw them out when they still hold shape, ratty though they are.
But a Thoughtful Reader (see comment at end of linked post) reminded me it’s National Poetry Month, and National Poetry Month is as good as a spring cleaning for a poem-hoarder. I’m re-upping my pledge to post poems with minimal commentary on as many days of the month as I can, here on the blog and on Twitter, in hopes of getting rid of most of them.
Let’s get on with it.
I poked a stick through Li Po’s “The Cold Clear Spring at Nanyang” along the banks of a not-entirely clear cold spring.
The Cold Clear Spring at Nanyang
by Li Po
A pity it is evening, yet
I do love the water of this spring
seeing how clear it is, how clean;
rays of sunset gleam on it,
lighting up its ripples, making it
one with those who travel
the roads; I turn and face
the moon; sing it a song, then
listen to the sound of the wind
amongst the pines.
Singing a song to the moon, I love that.
Li Po (701-762) was the most famous Chinese poet of the Tang Dynasty, also known as the Golden Age of Chinese Poetry.
The perfect words for a spring day. Thanks for making me laugh. I just bought new undies. I swear. It’s embarrassing how long it takes to fling them into the rubbish!
Socks too!
Loved it! Thank you so much, Poem Elf, for all these years of beauty coming my way.
Thanks for reading!
Poem Elf … I love this initiative of yours, and am happy to see you have accepted the challenge (or rather, the gentle push) of the Thoughtful Reader to post. So in the spirit of “getting on with it” I can look forward now to the month of April with more of your mischievous antics in my WP Reader!