Laura Purdie Salas

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[Poetry Friday] Cherries in the Sun (by Irene Latham)

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Great Writing Book of the Day: Rules for the Dance, by Mary Oliver. If you are writing metered verse or rhyming picture books, this book by master poet Mary Oliver is one I think you must have. Quick quote:?”All through this thirty-six-line poem the line begins with anapests and, as in the Byron poem, settles at last, or ‘sinks’ here and there, to the iambic. In this case, however, the iambic seems the reasonable meter…to cause just that excitation of the mind Poe considered essential in a poem–until the iambic feet begin to seem like small, calm islands in a turbulent ocean.”
[I’m sharing a?favorite writing book daily in case you want to buy yourself a great holiday gift:>) ]
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Novelist and poet Irene Latham is just as sweet and lovely and smart in person as she is on her blog, Live Your Poem. At our NCTE session, Irene gave each presenter a copy of her poetry collection, the color of lost rooms?(another one of those generosities I mentioned in a different post). I will soon be getting What Came Before, the only book by Irene I haven’t read yet. I’ve read her other three and highly recommend all of them! Anyway, the poems here are so vivid! Very easy to see why this collection was a finalist in the Indie Excellence Book Awards. Many of them are written for particular people, about particular people, or in the style of particular people. And yet, when you read these poems, those other people don’t matter, except as context, because the voice of each poem is brilliantly Irene’s. Here’s one I particularly love (go here and scroll down to see the painting):

Cherries in the Sun (Siesta)
–after the painting by Doris Lee

You can sleep when you’re dead,
Mama said. I never once saw

her unstrap her shoes, walk
barefoot through fresh-cut

grass. When the rooster
crowed, she leapt out of bed

and did not return for many
hours. Mama, I don’t believe

in roosters. I believe in cherries,
ripe and throbbing, every afternoon.

–Irene Latham, all rights reserved

The fabulous Jama, whose posts always make me hungry, has the?Poetry Friday roundup?today at Jama’s Alphabet Soup. Have fun!

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Comments

    • You’re very welcome, Irene. And thanks–that’s what I *thought* I had linked to, but clearly now. I’ve changed the link now:>)

    • You’re very welcome, Irene. And thanks–that’s what I *thought* I had linked to, but clearly now. I’ve changed the link now:>)

  7. Thanks for sharing this wonderful poem. I see what you mean about being vivid! Wow. I love the conversation between the narrator and the Mama. I wish, many times, that I had more of the cherries, and less of the rooster. Thanks!

  8. Thanks for sharing this wonderful poem. I see what you mean about being vivid! Wow. I love the conversation between the narrator and the Mama. I wish, many times, that I had more of the cherries, and less of the rooster. Thanks!

  9. I’m loving all these book recommendations, Laura. I have put quite a few on my Christmas list! And Irene’s poem is gorgeous- so much power in just a few words.

    • I’m so glad, Iza! My recommendations are making me realize I don’t need to buy any writing books, probably. I just need to re-read all these gems I already have:>) And, yes, the compression is another aspect of Irene’s poetry that I love.

  10. I’m loving all these book recommendations, Laura. I have put quite a few on my Christmas list! And Irene’s poem is gorgeous- so much power in just a few words.

    • I’m so glad, Iza! My recommendations are making me realize I don’t need to buy any writing books, probably. I just need to re-read all these gems I already have:>) And, yes, the compression is another aspect of Irene’s poetry that I love.

  13. One of my favorites from Irene’s collection….the Mary Oliver book is full of ideas and clarifications, and I too, just bouth her most recent book.

  14. One of my favorites from Irene’s collection….the Mary Oliver book is full of ideas and clarifications, and I too, just bouth her most recent book.

  17. I love The Color of Lost Rooms and really like that you chose to feature this particular poem today. Vivid and sensual, both poem and painting. 🙂

  18. I love The Color of Lost Rooms and really like that you chose to feature this particular poem today. Vivid and sensual, both poem and painting. 🙂

    • I was reading it mostly while unconnected. But now on second read, I’m going to need to look up the referenced paintings and such!

    • I was reading it mostly while unconnected. But now on second read, I’m going to need to look up the referenced paintings and such!

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