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Any Morning
by William Stafford
Just lying on the couch and being happy.
Only humming a little, the quiet sound in the head.
Trouble is busy elsewhere at the moment, it has
so much to do in the world.
People who might judge are mostly asleep; they can't
monitor you all the time, and sometimes they forget.
When dawn flows over the hedge you can
get up and act busy.
Little corners like this, pieces of Heaven
left lying around, can be picked up and saved.
People won't even see that you have them,
they are so light and easy to hide.
Later in the day you can act like the others.
You can shake your head. You can frown.
I'm looking forward to a morning like this. Maybe tomorrow. Add in a trip around the Poetry Friday roundup, and you've got another little piece of Heaven to "be picked up and saved."
Speaking of the roundup, Dori is our hostess this week at Dori Reads.
Such a fabulous poem. I came late to the poetry of William Stafford. I'm at a stage now where I'm ready to appreciate it, so I'm glad the discovery came later.
ReplyDeleteThis is how I feel when I get up early on Saturdays . . . I resist acting busy for as long as I can! I hope you have a heavenly morning.
ReplyDeleteStafford speaks loud to me every time. How wonderful this is, Mary Lee! I love "Later in the day you can act like the others." That is rather like we act, isn't it? Thank you!
ReplyDeleteSuch sneaky and delicious work. Hope you find that little piece of Heaven this weekend!
ReplyDeleteA piece of Heaven stolen from just not being busy. LOVE it....and need it. This is what summer is for me. Of course, I add my scribbles to those slice of Heaven moments.
ReplyDeleteWonderful poem...I want to see more from this poet.
A piece of Heaven stolen from just not being busy. LOVE it....and need it. This is what summer is for me. Of course, I add my scribbles to those slice of Heaven moments.
ReplyDeleteWonderful poem...I want to see more from this poet.
These are exactly the moments I was thinking of when I wrote about missing the pace of summer in my post this morning. Hope you get your morning of "lying on the couch and being happy" soon, Mary Lee!
ReplyDeleteI feel like this poem is a little piece of Heaven (William Stafford makes me swoony). Thanks, ML!
ReplyDeleteWishing you a morning just like this, ML! Lots and lots of them. xo
ReplyDeleteMornings like this are summer's gift and I'm already feeling them slide away as the school year approaches. I wish you many such moments tucked into your busy, fruitful days.
ReplyDeleteThose quiet moments we save up are among the most treasured. What a wonderful poem for being mindful of small blessings.
ReplyDeleteI declare this William Stafford week! This is the third poem I've read of his this week, and I've been moved by them all. "A Story That Could Be True" was my mentor poem for what I posted today on TLD.
ReplyDeleteI love this, Mary Lee. Though I didn't get up early for it, I'm savoring the quiet sound in my head today. I've already found the couch twice and it's not even lunch yet. I needed this little piece of heaven after an intense week! I'll wait until tomorrow, at least, to think about normal.
ReplyDeleteSo lovely! The trick I think is not to judge yourself.
ReplyDeleteI need every morning like this, where trouble is busy elsewhere! Thanks, Mary Lee.
ReplyDeleteA morning like this, every once in a while, makes up for all other mornings...
ReplyDeleteLove this poem of capturing that glimmering moment, being present to what it offers.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely picture your first stanza paints. I love the idea of trouble being busy elsewhere--too busy to bother with me!
ReplyDeletePieces of heaven for me to savor in the early morning alone-this poem captures that. Great line that reminds me to find that sacred time: When dawn flows over the hedge.
ReplyDeleteLove these lines (in particular) --
ReplyDelete"People who might judge are mostly asleep; they can't
monitor you all the time, and sometimes they forget."
-- especially that delightful, almost parenthetical at the end...
I remember reading that Stafford wrote a poem a day, every day, all year long. He said that while a lot of them weren't very "good", by the end of the year even a 1:10 ratio of good:not so good yields a whole bunch of good poems, plus all that writing increased the ratio.
Hoping you are taking some time this AM to hum quietly, and squirrel away a few lines about those peaceful moments, "light and easy to hide."
If you had asked me "What's Stafford's poetry like?" I would never have guessed this! This is definitely a Poem to Know, especially in these times ("Trouble is busy elsewhere at the moment, it has/so much to do in the world.") and I feel it's a cousin to my miracles. Thank you so much for bringing me this one!
ReplyDeleteLots to love about this little gem. Including;
ReplyDelete'Trouble is busy elsewhere at the moment, it has
so much to do in the world.'
Thanks for sharing Stafford's slice of heaven, Mary Lee. I aspire to a morning like that. =)
ReplyDeleteThe first two lines of this poem -- why not? A quiet morning sitting on the couch with a book sounds like good medicine.
ReplyDelete