Danusha, you are just amazing--I love the way you speak about creative process every bit as much as I love your poems. I'm so glad to be on this long path together!
What a transfusion of poetic passion. The whole conversation a summons to surrender beyond the mind... And, what else is prayer or any other faith practice?
But I cannot resist sharing one of my favorite poems, a very very important one in this particular day and age I think, which happens to be about… Cockroaches!
St. Roach
Muriel Rukeyser
For that I never knew you, I only learned to dread you,
for that I never touched you, they told me you are filth,
they showed me by every action to despise your kind;
for that I saw my people making war on you,
I could not tell you apart, one from another,
for that in childhood I lived in places clear of you,
for that all the people I knew met you by
crushing you, stamping you to death, they poured boiling
water on you, they flushed you down,
for that I could not tell one from another
only that you were dark, fast on your feet, and slender.
Not like me.
For that I did not know your poems
And that I do not know any of your sayings
And that I cannot speak or read your language
And that I do not sing your songs
And that I do not teach our children
to eat your food
or know your poems
or sing your songs
But that we say you are filthing our food
But that we know you not at all.
Yesterday I looked at one of you for the first time.
You were lighter that the others in color, that was
neither good nor bad.
I was really looking for the first time.
You seemed troubled and witty.
Today I touched one of you for the first time.
You were startled, you ran, you fled away
Fast as a dancer, light, strange, and lovely to the touch.
Oh wow. I love this poem I didn't know before ... thank you, Kim. And yes, this conversation just opened me up so beautifully, too ... Giant hugs to you!
What a great conversation! I especially love Derusha's idea of the irritant that we write about for our whole career. As soon as I heard that, I knew exactly what mine is: humans' estrangement from nature. That has been in the background or foreground of all of my writing over this past (eek!) four decades. Now with Practicing Terraphilia, it's in the foreground: I'm addressing it with each newsletter in different ways. Which is scary (because it's been my personal irritant) and exciting (because it's what's stretching me). So thanks to you, Derusha, and to Rosemerry and Christie for the inspiration and opening.
Loved spending time with you! Here's to walking to long path of poetry together---even at a distance! xo. Danusha
Danusha, you are just amazing--I love the way you speak about creative process every bit as much as I love your poems. I'm so glad to be on this long path together!
What a transfusion of poetic passion. The whole conversation a summons to surrender beyond the mind... And, what else is prayer or any other faith practice?
But I cannot resist sharing one of my favorite poems, a very very important one in this particular day and age I think, which happens to be about… Cockroaches!
St. Roach
Muriel Rukeyser
For that I never knew you, I only learned to dread you,
for that I never touched you, they told me you are filth,
they showed me by every action to despise your kind;
for that I saw my people making war on you,
I could not tell you apart, one from another,
for that in childhood I lived in places clear of you,
for that all the people I knew met you by
crushing you, stamping you to death, they poured boiling
water on you, they flushed you down,
for that I could not tell one from another
only that you were dark, fast on your feet, and slender.
Not like me.
For that I did not know your poems
And that I do not know any of your sayings
And that I cannot speak or read your language
And that I do not sing your songs
And that I do not teach our children
to eat your food
or know your poems
or sing your songs
But that we say you are filthing our food
But that we know you not at all.
Yesterday I looked at one of you for the first time.
You were lighter that the others in color, that was
neither good nor bad.
I was really looking for the first time.
You seemed troubled and witty.
Today I touched one of you for the first time.
You were startled, you ran, you fled away
Fast as a dancer, light, strange, and lovely to the touch.
I reach, I touch, I begin to know you.
Kim! I cannot believe you had this cock roach poem in your pocket, so to speak! But of course you did! A poem for all occasions! Hugs!!!
Oh wow. I love this poem I didn't know before ... thank you, Kim. And yes, this conversation just opened me up so beautifully, too ... Giant hugs to you!
What a great conversation! I especially love Derusha's idea of the irritant that we write about for our whole career. As soon as I heard that, I knew exactly what mine is: humans' estrangement from nature. That has been in the background or foreground of all of my writing over this past (eek!) four decades. Now with Practicing Terraphilia, it's in the foreground: I'm addressing it with each newsletter in different ways. Which is scary (because it's been my personal irritant) and exciting (because it's what's stretching me). So thanks to you, Derusha, and to Rosemerry and Christie for the inspiration and opening.
I am so excited to read your new book!!! And yes, the irritant ... it's such a profound way to think of what drives us
Thanks for the support! We are shopping the book to publishers now and I am writing away in the faith that we'll find one. (Fingers crossed!)
fingers crossed!
Beautiful conversation❤️
thanks, Darlene! I love thinking of you listening in!