What are your favorite poetry collections?

What are some of your favorite collections of poetry? Or favorite poets? Poems?

I really love poetry collections because they offer a broader insight into each poem in the book. Sort of like only understanding light when you have seen dark. Some poems benefit from being surrounded by more poems by that poet.

Natalie Diaz, an incredible indigenous poet in the U.S., has the most amazing collection of poems entitled When My Brother Was an Aztec. Here's a poem from her collection that I love:

Why I Hate Raisins

And is it only the mouth and belly which are
injured by hunger and thirst?
-Mencius

Love is a pound of sticky raisins
packed tight in black and white
government boxes the day we had no
groceries. I told my mom I was hungry.
She gave me the whole bright box.
USDA stamped like a fist on the side.
I ate them all in ten minutes. Ate
too many too fast. It wasn't long
before those old grapes set like black
clay at the bottom of my belly
making it ache and swell.

I complained, I hate raisins.
I just wanted a sandwich like other kids.
Well that's all we've got, my mom sighed.
And what other kids?
Everyone but me, I told her.
She said, You mean the white kids.
You want to be a white kid?
Well too bad 'cause you're my kid.
I cried, At least the white kids get a sandwich.
At least the white kids don't get the shits.

That's when she slapped me. Left me
holding my mouth and stomach--
devoured by shame.

I still hate raisins,
but not for the crooked commodity lines
we stood in to get them--winding
around and in the tribal gymnasium.
Not for the awkward cardboard boxes
we carried them home in. Not for the shits
or how they distended my belly.
I hate raisins because now I know
my mom was hungry that day, too,
and I ate all the raisins.

Some of my other favorite collections are:

Unpeopled Eden by Rigoberto Gonzalez
The Animal Gospels by Brian Barker
The Book of Men by Dorianne Laux
Sanctificum by Chris Abani

What are your favorites? These examples are all contemporary (all the poets are still alive), but older stuff is welcome, too!

Hello, I frequent a site called Friendfamilypoetry. I stumbled onto it by mistake and joined it. The have a wide selection of poety. The site also has an area where the different types of poetry are explained. I read through it and learned quite a bit. You are also able to submit your work if you would like to share it. All of he poems are well organized.    Just a suggestion.    Larry

Well, maybe I didn't really think through how to start the thread--tying poetry into other common interests on the forum. Being outside while reading or writing poems is a singular experience. Was hoping more people did that kinda thing. That's okay, though.

There are plenty of examples that I could list of poetry that is specifically about nature, but I think all poems are tied to nature in some way. Even ones that don't mention trees or mountains or how beautiful "nature" is. Even poems in urban or "modern" settings. All poetry (or art in any form) comes from the human experience, which, I think, is intrinsically tied to nature. We are a part of this planet, and permies know this more than most. Even if you yourself don't write poems, there must be a poem--or a poet or a poet's body of work--that has resonated with you and your own experiences. Lots of people tend to think that poetry is a dying art, but it's not! As long as we are here and we write, poetry will always be a part of us as humans and, therefore, of nature.

Poetry can also be a little daunting for some, but I was hoping there would be a few more responses! I'd really love to learn more about some of you fine permies. Sometimes taste in reading material can be a lovely window into another person--even if it's just a little bit! I often resonate with poetry that involves food because food is such an integral part of the human experience. Permaculture of any kind, I think, ties in with this because of the sort of communal survivalist nature of it, even if you live/are alone.

You're right, Larry. There will never really be a substitute to taking the time to sit and write, especially if you're an off-gridder. And it is much cheaper than most past-times! I can't look out the window and not think of poetry. Maybe some people think of music or prose or something else. I'd be open to hearing those kinds of things, too!

I'm also new here, and a stranger, so people maybe thought this post was a little weird. Poor way to introduce myself, I think. I'll have to be more careful in the future to stick to permaculture stuff, specifically, I guess.

Also, I am aware of this awesome thread: https://permies.com/t/19166/art/Poem-day, but was hoping to open things up a little bit to include a broader array of poetry sources. So cool that people share their work on here. I encourage people to continue contributing to that post, as well!

Emily Lerner wrote:

Natalie Diaz, an incredible indigenous poet in the U.S., has the most amazing collection of poems entitled When My Brother Was an Aztec. Here's a poem from her collection that I love:

Why I Hate Raisins

And is it only the mouth and belly which are
injured by hunger and thirst?
-Mencius

Love is a pound of sticky raisins
packed tight in black and white
government boxes the day we had no
groceries. I told my mom I was hungry.
She gave me the whole bright box.
USDA stamped like a fist on the side.
I ate them all in ten minutes. Ate
too many too fast. It wasn't long
before those old grapes set like black
clay at the bottom of my belly
making it ache and swell.

I complained, I hate raisins.
I just wanted a sandwich like other kids.
Well that's all we've got, my mom sighed.
And what other kids?
Everyone but me, I told her.
She said, You mean the white kids.
You want to be a white kid?
Well too bad 'cause you're my kid.
I cried, At least the white kids get a sandwich.
At least the white kids don't get the shits.

That's when she slapped me. Left me
holding my mouth and stomach--
devoured by shame.

I still hate raisins,
but not for the crooked commodity lines
we stood in to get them--winding
around and in the tribal gymnasium.
Not for the awkward cardboard boxes
we carried them home in. Not for the shits
or how they distended my belly.
I hate raisins because now I know
my mom was hungry that day, too,
and I ate all the raisins.

Some of my other favorite collections are:

Unpeopled Eden by Rigoberto Gonzalez
The Animal Gospels by Brian Barker
The Book of Men by Dorianne Laux
Sanctificum by Chris Abani

What are your favorites? These examples are all contemporary (all the poets are still alive), but older stuff is welcome, too!

That poem is beautiful. Personally, I love bukowski.  Most of the best poetry seems to hurt a little. Or a lot.

Todd Parr wrote:
Personally, I love bukowski.  Most of the best poetry seems to hurt a little. Or a lot.

I can get down with some Bukowski! Maybe I'm a bit of a masochist, but I love best the poems that hurt. Helps me remember I'm alive.

Thanks, Todd

What are some of your favorite collections of poetry? Or favorite poets? Poems?

I've been meaning to get back to this thread and post...I even brought out a stack of poetry books out from the 'cold' room (we have a couple rooms shut off to make it easier to heat our house this winter, one is the library/work room).

The most recent collections of poetry I've loved has been two! by Jane Hirshfield  "After" and "Given Sugar Given Salt".  
I like her philosophy towards life and so many of her poems resonate with me.

I've loved a lot of 'collections' over the years...early ones were by Lawrence Ferlinghetti back in the sixties starting with 'A Coney Island of the Mind' along with other poets from that period, especially what were considered the Beats.

I rarely read a collection straight through as one would a novel so I have several going at once...there are a couple Wendell Berry's in the stack  "Farming, the Handbook" and another I couldn't locate at the moment.....and an ebook of his poems "Collected and New Sabbeth Poems" that I haven't read much of yet.

...and any collection of Rumi poetry is very much a favorite....

Some topics here are slow to take off.....this is a good one, thanks for starting it.

I'm going to add this thread to the 'Meaningless Drivel' forum also....more folks will see it there...that forum title is in fun not a comment on the thread

Judith, thank you. The change of forum is a good idea. Glad you made it back to this one!

Sorry you had to go to the cold room for them! I'm glad that you did, though. I've been meaning to read some Hirschfield, so I have even more reason to get going on that, now! Ferlinghetti is my favorite of the Beat poets. Took a whole semester on the Beat generation and his works stuck with me. Also adore Wendell Berry!

And Rumi. Ah. Always.

Thanks for leaving a response!

Ah, the concentration to really take in a good poem has been lacking in my life. I keep thinking I'll get there again.

The thing is, I can't seem to simply / only read good poetry. It takes an engagement that is more comprehensive than mere vocabulary in my book.

Maybe being outside, away from domestic distractions makes that easier to do. Maybe that type of engagement would be more soul-filling than some distractions I employ these days to escape stress. What a great reminder for me to try!

When I do wish to plunge into the depths of poetry, I enjoy Mary Oliver or May Sarton.

Oh, I get what you mean about the concentration. It can be really tough to do with lots of distractions because it really does ask for your full attention. I can't do it all the time. I read other stuff, too, like novels, to cut the work a little bit.

When I do get to sit down and really read poems, though, I usually read them out loud (with the help of tea or water) to make sure my mind doesn't wander. My animals don't seem to mind.

Mary Oliver is fantastic, but I am sad to admit I haven't read much Sarton. I'll have to give her some more attention!

When I read poetry that's not "recent", I tend to reach for Elizabeth Bishop. Hands down one of my favorite poets of all time.

I love to read poetry, writing is a tough endever. If you keep it to yourself?  It's easier.  A Paul Valey quote " a poem is never finished, just abandoned" Every time I revisit a poem that no one has seen? I change a word or two, add a quatraine or delete something. Anyone else have this problem?

Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon.

-CK

Chris Kott wrote:Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon.

-CK

Yes, love the album. Poetry is words put to music.music,is poetry.    Just like slow dancing is a vertiical expression of a horizontal desire. ( my woman's words, not mine) Keep in mind? This is coming from a construction worker.  Lol.  Read Jim Morrisons  biography. "no one here gets out alive". Turn to the end of the book. There are many poems there.  Some you will recogognize.  Some not,   He, was a poet

Here are some collections or anthologies I'd recommend:

Collection of Jim Morrison's poetry:
http://www.jimmorrisonpoetry.com/

Collection of Theodore Roethke's poetry:
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/theodore-roethke#tab-poems

Collection of Robert Frost's poetry:
https://www.poemhunter.com/robert-frost/poems/

Complete works of Robert Burns poetry:
http://www.robertburns.org/works/

Collection of Willa Cather's poetry:
https://www.poemhunter.com/willa-sibert-cather/poems/

Collection of Ezra Pound's poetry:
https://www.poemhunter.com/ezra-pound/poems/

Not the least of these minds is Wendell Berry:
https://www.poemhunter.com/wendell-berry/poems/

I better stop there.

Fruit Fly
by Gavin Gunhold

Due to the tragically short life span of the average
fruit fly,
College is not really an option.
Caps and gowns don''t come in that size anyway.

Dan Grubbs wrote:I knew there was some reason I liked you, Redhawk!  

perhaps I will post in a thread, some of my own works, from the past.
Usually I don't do such a thing but they might bring some smiles.

Redhawk

In one of Robert Burns poems, "Yon Wild Mossy Mountains," his first stanza gives evidence that the man spent some time in observation of creation. I suspect Mr. Burns might have made a good permie. For those who have not read Mr. Burn's work, the Scottish can be a bit confusing. But, if one pays attention just a little bit, one can figure out what he wrote.  The Clyde is a river in Scotland, and "youth o' the Clyde" means the headwaters or river basin. But, how much more colorful is it to write "youth o' the Clyde" than headwaters, right?

Yon wild mossy mountains sae lofty and wide,
That nurse in their bosom the youth o' the Clyde,
Where the grouse lead their coveys thro' the heather to feed,
And the shepherd tends his flock as he pipes on his reed.

I reread this thread this morning. I feels good to know that I'm not the only one out there. I wish I could explian the looks I get when I'm  on a consruction  site and I mention that I write poetry. There is always a composition book and a pen in my lunch box. I have been know to climb down a ten foot ladder and jot  down an idea or observation for later. Then climb back up and go back to work. One problem I have is I share very little of my work. Evertime I revisit a poem? I make a change in the wording, perhaps move a stanza, eliminate one, add one. It can be frustrating at times....Paul Valery got it right when he mentions "'a poem is never finished, just abandoned".      

Larry Bock wrote:I reread this thread this morning. I feels good to know that I'm not the only one out there. I wish I could explian the looks I get when I'm  on a consruction  site and I mention that I write poetry. There is always a composition book and a pen in my lunch box. I have been know to climb down a ten foot ladder and jot  down an idea or observation for later. Then climb back up and go back to work. One problem I have is I share very little of my work. Evertime I revisit a poem? I make a change in the wording, perhaps move a stanza, eliminate one, add one. It can be frustrating at times....Paul Valery got it right when he mentions "'a poem is never finished, just abandoned".      

I think if writing poetry satisfies you then there's no reason to 'share' it?  or is that like 'one hand clapping'?  
My guy has been writing haiku for more than forty years...a little tweaking here and there, but most, being what they are, are finished when written.  He just this year is having them printed as a chapbook...editing has driven him almost over the edge...not editing the 250 haiku themselves, but page layout and typos, etc in the several pages of introduction.  The poetry has been a joy for him...sharing as a book, not so much.  

I can certainly see why sharing would drive someone to craziness. There are times I'd like to share something with someone, only one person.  I write with intent, not an abstract. If it was your birthday, we went out to dinner or danced the night away. I wrote it for you. I'd like you to hear it.  This is where it gets stickie. The " hey, remember last month thing?" " I wrote this last night". I know that came out wrong. But there are some times when timing does matter.  Lol.

Larry Bock wrote:I can certainly see why sharing would drive someone to craziness. There are times I'd like to share something with someone, only one person.  I write with intent, not an abstract. If it was your birthday, we went out to dinner or danced the night away. I wrote it for you. I'd like you to hear it.  This is where it gets stickie. The " hey, remember last month thing?" " I wrote this last night". I know that came out wrong. But there are some times when timing does matter.  Lol.

There are a lot of poems that seemed very private messages between poet and object. However, when these are collected and readers consume them later, at least two important things happen:
1 - We are given a glimpse into the poet and what was important to them, how the poet thought about things, how the poet feels. These are especially relevant for the second important thing.
2 - We find commonality and contrast with the poet. This is that "human condition" kind of thing that literature geeks go on about. Humans are strikingly similar to each other, regardless of how much some want to deny that. When we see that we have common feelings and thoughts about something, we can see that we're not alone and see that pain and delights, mundanity and chaos, fear and peace are all shared experiences.

I'm certainly not saying that everyone should share their verse if they are not comfortable doing so. I am saying that some important things can happen when poetry is shared.

...all poems are tied to nature in some way. Even ones that don't mention trees or mountains or how beautiful "nature" is. Even poems in urban or "modern" settings. All poetry (or art in any form) comes from the human experience, which, I think, is intrinsically tied to nature. We are a part of this planet, and permies know this more than most. Even if you yourself don't write poems, there must be a poem--or a poet or a poet's body of work--that has resonated with you and your own experiences. Lots of people tend to think that poetry is a dying art, but it's not! As long as we are here and we write, poetry will always be a part of us as humans and, therefore, of nature.

This is beautiful.   Thank you.

I'm usually a tennyson girl, although his work is sadder as I age.  I haven't read any for a few years.

Recently, I picked up a book by Robert Service written during WWI.  That was sad too.

I burned incense, swept the earth, and waited
for a poem to come...
Then I laughed, and climbed the mountain,
leaning on my staff.
How I'd love to be a master
of the blue sky's art:
see how many sprigs of snow-white cloud
he's brushed in so far today.

From Yuan Mei (1716-1798)

Taoist poetry is my overall favorite, especially since the deconstructionists polluted the western poetry tradition post WW1.