POEMS FROM POETRYFOUNDATION

Theme:

Spring

1. Bespoke--By Michelle O’Sullivan

Early April and there's a light-footed feel.

Nothing troubles from the darkened underbrush,

and the sun's late beauty daubs

the green wood with yellows.

As if for you, a thrush rills, blue pieces of silver

that will dry like watermarks. Almost delicate,

the hour around seven, a blown-glass bowl,

edgeless and honed, made bespoke.

Yet somewhere inside this evening hour,

a man refutes: his fist

will not burden the kitchen table.

A wintered heart, hard as a knot of holly.

2. Rock Me, Mercy---By Yusef Komunyakaa

The river stones are listening

because we have something to say.

The trees lean closer today.

The singing in the electrical woods

has gone dumb. It looks like rain

because it is too warm to snow.

Guardian angels, wherever you're hiding,

we know you can't be everywhere at once.

Have you corralled all the pretty wild

horses? The memory of ants asleep

in daylilies, roses, holly,& larkspur.

The magpies gaze at us, still

waiting. River stones are listening.

But all we can say now is,

Mercy, please, rock me.