Noon
by Philip Levine
I bend to the ground
to catch
something whispered,
urgent, drifting
across the ditches.
The heaviness of
flies stuttering
in orbit, dirt
ripening, the sweat
of eggs.
There are
small streams
the width ofa thumb
running in the villages
of sheaves, whole
eras of grain
wakening on
the stalks, a roof
that breathes over
my head.
Behind me
the tracks creaking
like a harness,
an abandoned bicycle
that cries and cries,
a bottle of common
wine that won’t
pour.
At such times
I expect the earth
to pronounce. I say,
“I’ve been waiting
so long.”
Up ahead
a stand of eucalyptus
guards the river,
the river moving
east, the heavy light
sifts down driving
the sparrows for
cover, and the women
bow as they slap
the life out
of sheets and pants
and worn hands.
End of the poem
15 random poems
- An Ode to Beer
- Morning Poem #39 by Wanda Phipps
- A Pastiche For Eve by Weldon Kees
- “My northern blood exults to face” poem – Alfred Austin
- Георгий Иванов – Теперь тебя не уничтожат
- On the Nativity of Christ by William Dunbar
- doughnuts for sale by Raj Arumugam
- Владимир Маяковский – Спросили раз меня: “Вы любите ли НЭП?”
- Джон Китс – Делим яблоко Евы
- Pharaohs, Protests and Public by Sunil Sharma
- The Bridge of Sighs by Thomas Hood
- Омар Хайям – Кто не грешит?
- Superficially by Ndue Ukaj
- Love, Romance, Relationship: Some Poetic Scenes!
- Westward on the High-Hilled Plains poem – A. E. Housman
Some external links:
Duckduckgo.com – the alternative in the US
Quant.com – a search engine from France, and also an alternative, at least for Europe
Yandex – the Russian search engine (it’s probably the best search engine for image searches).
Philip Levine ( 1928 – 2015) was an American poet best known for his poems about working-class Detroit. He taught for more than thirty years in the English department of California State University, Fresno and held teaching positions at other universities as well. He served on the Board of Chancellors of the Academy of American Poets from 2000 to 2006, and was appointed Poet Laureate of the United States for 2011–2012