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Sunday, April 25, 2010

And Of Course, The Poets


Readers at the March, 2010 Rattle-Read
as the Snake salutes Poems-for-All:

(from left to right) Kevin Jones, Richard Hansen, Martha Ann Blackman,
Kathy Kieth, Frank Andrick, Ann Menebroker, Joyce Odam,
Taylor Graham, Bill Gainer

(Photo by Katy Brown)



FLOWERS AND TALL-STALKED GRASSES
—Ivan Bunin

Flowers, and tall-stalked grasses, and a bee,
and azure, blaze of the meridian...
The time will come, the Lord will ask his prodigal son:
"In your life on earth, were you happy?"

And I'll forget it all, only remembering those
meadow paths among tall spears of grass,
and clasped against the knees of mercy I
will not respond, choked off by tears of joy.


(Translated from the Russian by David Curzon and Vladislav L. Gucrassev)

___________________

—Medusa (closing off Earth Week by giving thanks for all creatures—not the least of which are, of course, The Poets...)