Just a lovely image, I wish I saw this from my flat window, over pots of tea and many poems.
…that it’s World Poetry Day.
I’m sharing this poem, by Norman MacCaig everywhere:
Toad
Stop looking like a purse. How could a purse
Squeeze under the rickety door and sit,
Full of satisfaction in a man’s house?
You clamber towards me on your four corners –
Right hand, left foot, left hand, right foot.
I love you for being a toad,
For crawling like a Japanese wrestler,
And for not being frightened
I put you in my purse hand not shutting it,
And set you down outside directly under
Every star.
A jewel in your head? Toad,
You’ve put one in mine,
A tiny radiance in a dark place.
I love the smallness of the poem, the way it seems to carry the poet’s voice, his fitting observations, without ever seeming laboured. The jewel-in-the-head refers to a legend that toads have, well, a jewel in their head.
What’s your favourite poem of the moment?
What a paradise — and if this is in the dead of winter, what will Summer bring?
The lighting is just gorgeous. Thanks for sharing.
I do think it was the first day of spring yesterday (when this picture was taken) but you can never be quite sure.
Look, I am living. On what? Neither childhood nor future are growing less….supernumerous existence wells up in my heart.
My favorite Duino Elegy, The Ninth–Rainer Maria Rilke
Beautiful. Another writer I must add to the endless list.
The poet you introduced me to on Tumblr today, Jackie Kay, opened my heart a little wider. Thank you for that.
Yes, she is wonderful. The poetry archive has some readings by her.
Lovely words and image both!
Thank you.
I was given a collection of Norman MacCaig’s poetry in 2010 for Christmas. As I looked through it ‘Toad’ leapt out. I read it again and again. Wonderful.
Love the idea of it leaping out – fitting, for a toad (or is hopping more something frogs do?)
What a great little poem – just wandering around your blog and spotted this post – glad I did!
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