I'm like a pencil;
sometimes sharp,
most days
well-rounded,
other times
dull or
occasionally
broken.
Still I write.
j.g. lewis
is a writer/photographer in Toronto.
Month: April 2018
I stumbled cross a wonderful book this week; its premise simple, transparent, and purposeful.
The Poet’s Corner is a compilation of favorite poems assembled by actor John Lithgow, a life-long poetry lover and enthusiast. Subtitled The One-And-Only Poetry Book for the Whole Family, the volume delivers more than it promises.
So much poetic ground is covered between the covers: Blake, Ginsberg, Keats, Nash, Poe, Shakespeare; 50 poets presented in a fashion that will easily capture your attention and interest.
There is no new work, and some of the poems you may know well but have not read in quite some time (it was Lear’s The Owl and the Pussy-Cat for me), but the presentation is unique, accessible, and sure to recharge your interest in poetry.
Each of the selected poems provides a little history of the poet and the era or circumstance, Lithgow’s brief, yet effective commentary, and titles of a few other suggested poems by the writer.
“My brief comments reflect what the poems have meant for me, but they speak far more resonantly for themselves,” Lithgow says in the introduction.
The work is not presented in a scholarly tone, but from the viewpoint of a man who grew up listening to his grandmother and father recite poetry. This is the type of book you can pick up at any time and be drawn into the words, the stories and the rhythm of life.
“Each poem’s light shines more brightly when read aloud,” Lithgow writes in the introduction, and with the book we are treated to a CD with the 50 poems read by the actor and his friends.
Included are the voices of Glenn Close, Morgan Freeman, Jodie Foster, Helen Mirren, Gary Sinise, and even master poet Billy Connolly reading Lear and Lowell.
This is a delightful package that will allow you to explore, discover and rediscover poetry, and all it can mean to you.
The Poet’s Corner,
The One-And-Only Poetry Book For the Whole Family, was published in 2007 by Grand Central Publishing and is well-worth searching out.
04/15/2018 j.g.l.
Posted on April 14, 2018 by j.g.lewisLeave a comment
Judgement passed
in silence. We do not see
shadows hiding behind
mistakes, or feel
the resounding disquiet
hanging in the balance.
Promises permanent as
sidewalk chalk,
bite your tongue, avoid
the talk. Nothing said,
nothing wrong,
you think, you feel, you
still belong. We can
wholly pretend
our lives have meaning,
until we fail
to stand up for the self.
Apathy is easy; you don’t
have to do anything.
© 2018 j.g. lewis
Posted on April 13, 2018 by j.g.lewisLeave a comment
We strip off fears
at the end of day, discarded
on the floor like our jeans,
pocket change
spilling out. Our worth
at the moment.
Exposed to one lover
or another, we try
to get back what we may
never have had.
We fumble, we always do,
to find comfort, acceptance,
least likely common
companionship.
Fragments of our self
given away with each kiss,
every awkward touch.
We gain, we hope,
more than
brazen confidence or
release from all that
has held us back. Often,
only to remain,
as available as
bundled up socks
bedside. Did we dare
and where did it take us?
04/13/2018 j.g. lewis
