A Blessing
by James Wright
Just off the highway to Rochester, Minnesota,
Twilight bounds softly forth on the grass.
And the eyes of those two Indian ponies
Darken with kindness.
They have come gladly out of the willows
To welcome my friend and me.
We step over the barbed wire into the pasture
Where they have been grazing all day, alone.
They ripple tensely, they can hardly contain their happiness
That we have come.
They bow shyly as wet swans. They love each other.
There is no loneliness like theirs.
At home once more,
They begin munching the young tufts of spring in the darkness.
I would like to hold the slenderer one in my arms,
For she has walked over to me
And nuzzled my left hand.
She is black and white,
Her mane falls wild on her forehead,
And the light breeze moves me to caress her long ear
That is delicate as the skin over a girl’s wrist.
Suddenly I realize
That if I stepped out of my body I would break
Into blossom.
That’s a neat poem! (Although “neat” doesn’t quite express all the dimensions of my reaction…)
Regards
By the way, I enjoyed the historical photo a lot at your Briery Creek Press site…
Regards
So glad you stopped by, Fencer. I love that photo; it, for me, embodies all the enthusiasm and joy and exuberance my students bring to the work we do with the press–and how happy and young working with them keeps me feelin’
And isn’t “if I stepped out of my body I would break
Into blossom.” the best ending to a poem–my breath catches every time I read or hear that line.
Best,
mary
This is my favorite poem in the world–no exaggeration. It makes me feel hopeful about my writing and the freshness the world can convey.
No one can match the lines: “They love each other / There is no loneliness like theirs.”
Hi StillLife
The first time I read the last two lines, I literally gasped–”break into blossom.” Yeah. Right there. Amazing.
Best,
mary
Hearing this poem read by Garrison Keillor on the radio some years ago is what motivated me to try writing poetry.