Poetry Friday is Here!

I am still without power (that's SIX days now!), but consider me your postal carrier of poetry. There is nothing, not even an electrical shortage, that will keep me from delivering "the best words in their best order" to you. (Thank you Samuel Coleridge.)

Today I'm sharing a poem from Leaves of Grass.

Italian Music in Dakota

by Walt Whitman

Through the soft evening air enwrinding all,   
Rocks, woods, fort, cannon, pacing sentries, endless wilds,   
In dulcet streams, in flutes’ and cornets’ notes,   
Electric, pensive, turbulent artificial,   
(Yet strangely fitting even here, meanings unknown before,           
Subtler than ever, more harmony, as if born here, related here,   
Not to the city’s fresco’d rooms, not to the audience of the opera house,   
Sounds, echoes, wandering strains, as really here at home,   
Sonnambula’s innocent love, trios with Norma’s anguish,   
And thy ecstatic chorus Poliuto;)     
Ray’d in the limpid yellow slanting sundown,   
Music, Italian music in Dakota.   
 
While Nature, sovereign of this gnarl’d realm,   
Lurking in hidden barbaric grim recesses,   
Acknowledging rapport however far remov’d,     
(As some old root or soil of earth its last-born flower or fruit,)   
Listens well pleas’d.

I'll be stealing time throughout the day in establishments around the city that DO have power. So, leave me a note about your contribution and I'll add it to this post. Happy poetry Friday all!

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Good morning poetry lovers! This is your intrepid host, checking in from my local Starbucks. I've used my free birthday drink coupon, am sipping an iced chai, eating a whole-grain bagel, and loving your choices this sunny morning. So, without further ado, here's what the early bird dug up.

Robyn Hood Black is attending another Founder's Workshop (lucky girl!) and is signing in from Honesdale, PA. Today she is sharing a poem by Paul Fleischman in honor of his birthday.

Amy LV of The Poem Farm is sharing an original poem entitled My Blanket Smells.

Steven Withrow of Crackles of Speech shares an original poem inspired by  Irene entitled Storm's Alarm.

Over at The Write Sisters, Barbara is sharing a bit of Roald Dahl in the form of Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf.

Melissa of through the wardrobe shares an excerpt from an original work entitled Zoo.

Mary Lee of A Year of Reading shares an ode to the first weeks of school. Is that James Taylor? I do believe it is. Oh, what a fitting choice.

Maria Horvath is in a romantic mood and sharing the poem/lyrics If I Were a Carpenter.

Charlotte of Charlotte's Library is sharing a review of a book of graphic novel style nursery rhymes entitled Nursery Rhyme Comics: 50 Timeless Rhymes from 50 Celebrated Cartoonists.

Heidi Mordhorst of my juicy little universe is sharing fishy reflections on her first week of school and the poem Fish by Mary Ann Hoberman.

Diane Mayr of Random Noodling  is sharing a poem by Hal Sirowitz entitled The Benefits of Ignorance.

Diane Mayr shares original poetry at Kids of the Homefront Army. Today's entry is entitled Model Airplanes.

Finally, over at Kurious Kitty and Kurious K's Kwotes, Diane is sharing Wislawa Szymborska.

Jama Rattigan is sharing three poems and spreads from Marilyn Singer's new book, A Full Moon is Rising. Coincidentally, I brought this one home yesterday to read by flashlight in bed (no lie)!

Tara of A Teaching Life is sharing the poem she using to launch her poetry study, Where I'm From by George Ella Lyon.

Sally of Paper Tigers is sharing a brief review of the book Something Nice by Misuzu Kaneko.

Tabatha Yeatts of The Opposite of Indifference is sharing the poem Firefighter's Prayer by David Cochrane.

Jennie of Biblio File is sharing the poem by Naomi Shihab Nye that opens the book Denied, Detained, Deported: Stories from the Dark Side of American Immigration by Ann Bauseum.

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Welcome back folks! It's a bit after 7:00 pm and I'm coming to you thanks to the University's internet connection. Hey, it may be work, but my office has air conditioning! And now, on with the poetry parade.

Jone of Check It Out is sharing an original list poem on Summer 2011.

Violet Nesdoly is sharing an original poem entitled Seasonal Junction.


Karen Edmisten is sharing the poem Short Order Cook by Jim Daniels.

Karissa Knox of The Iris Chronicles is sharing a ghazal by Agha Shahid Ali.

Ruth of There is no such thing as a God-forsaken town is sharing the lyrics from the Sara Groves song Fireflies and Songs.

The poetry stretch this week challenged folks to write about the forces of nature. Boy, did they deliver! You'll find some terrific pieces by Jane Yolen, J. Patrick Lewis, Kate Coombs, Steven Withrow, Diane Mayr, Amy LV, and Carol Weis at Monday Poetry Stretch - Natural Forces.

I'll check back in first thing on Saturday to round up any late posts. Enjoy your weekend. I hope it's filled with poetry!