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Tuesday, June 06, 2006

If I Could Speak In Silk


by Judy Johns (read June 2006)
Johns is the 2006 Utah Poet of the Year. I enjoyed this little collection of poems and I love the title. Reminds me of another author who said, "Oh, that I had the voice of an angel." Both create a single ping of longing in my soul for the same gift. Several of the poems in this collection encapsulated feelings I have or have had. I would like to record all those, but I settled on just this one:
The Bad Poets Prayer
Lord,
Let me wake up with the gift
to see humor in grass,
pathos in telephone poles,
rhythm in parking lots,
and color in pigeons.
Lift me from the quicksand
of cliche and tired images
which weigh like cement shoes
on my poor murdered verse.
Others have this gift,
I have a craving as
stong as any addict
for the rush, the high
of knowing that no other poet
could capture this same moment
as perfectly.
And if that is too much to ask,
then take away this urge
to commit to paper
evidence that I lack the gift.


I identified, not because I have any talent for writing poetry, but because I have talents in other areas and sometimes I feel that the results I produce are only good enough to be trampled on by cement feet. When will I ever feel like what I do is good enough?! Haven't we all felt that from time to time? I guess that's why we enjoy poetry and other written work.

9 comments:

Suzan Abrams, email: suzanabrams@live.co.uk said...

If I could speak with my eyes in silk...how does that sound Booklogged?

I'd love to read something that you'd have written. You won't know the results of your efforts till you try. I would say, give it a shot.
love

Suzan Abrams, email: suzanabrams@live.co.uk said...

Hi Booklogged, I also wanted to let you know that I've answered your very insightful question about the quotes under the entry from where you asked me. (about the praying hands). Hope it helps.

Lotus Reads said...

Ohhh, booklogged, thanks for sharing "The Bad Poet's Prayer", I am sure I relate to that poem, too. I think we all wish we could be better at what we do and I think it is this 'wish to be better' that propels us to giving our best, no? And yes, that is a wonderful title for a book. Please do share another poem or two when you can. Thanks.

Myke Weber said...

I read this book while you left it in the "library". I enjoyed it very much.
"Uncle Frank" was remarkable. I liked "The Squeaky Bedsprings" too.

I need to read more poetry.

Booklogged said...

Lotus, I added two poems by Judy Johns at the bottom of each of my sidebars. Just for you. Hope you enjoy them.

StarStar said...

What a lovely piece. It's so hard to discover good poetry anymore only because there is so much it can be daunting. Thanks for sharing this one.

Lotus Reads said...

THanks, booklogged, that is very nice of you! I'm sorry but I only just read this comment, so I didn't look for the poems earlier - Did we lose them after your template glitch from yesterday?

jenclair said...

I just borrowed this poem and hope you don't mind!

Booklogged said...

Lotus, yes, I lost the two poems during the crash and a few other things that I want to fix. Actually, I'm surprised things are back as good as they are. And grateful, too.

Jenclair, you are welcome to the poem. It's not mine to give away.