Far From The Madding Crowd

i’d rather be in the company of a
dead poet than no poet at all

so armed with Seamus Heaney
who understands my outside world

far more than the living and is close
to emotions that can split seams

even though he has no heart beat
or blood pumping through his veins

i find clear water where the lake
creeps close to the lane in winter

it is summer magic and the surface
ripples are blinded by blazing sun

my back arched against a tree in shade
this quiet glade hidden by a canopy

of dense greenery is a haven of content
serenity reigns as life’s dross is far away

Reviews

[Ken e Bujold]

Lovely work Chris. seems a lot of peeps have heaney on their minds of late. Then again, that is as it should be, for few have as much to teach us as Bellaghy's bard. Your opening is as powerful a statement as can be made, and one i wholeheartedly subscribe to as well

[Chris Shaw]

Thanks Ken for that great review. Yes, I am reading some Heaney at present. All the best to you and yours.

Chris

[Ken e Bujold]

same here, though i am pretty much always reading Heaney, have since my first brush with him in univ, 40 odd yrs back. My recent poem, An April Mourning is a recount of my visit to his grave a few yrs back

[Chris Shaw]

I’ll check your latests out later. chores calling and loudly :)

[E.P. Robles]

In the realm of the written word,
Where poetry's essence is enthralled,
I find solace in the presence of
A poet's soul, though no longer called.

For even in the grip of death,
Their verses breathe life anew,
Seamus Heaney, a timeless guide,
Transcends mortality's limiting view.

He wields his words like brushstrokes,
Painting landscapes of my outer world,
Understanding depths unknown,
Where emotions like rivers unfurled.

Though his heart may not beat,
Nor blood course through his veins,
His verses pulse with resonance,
Unleashing passions that forever remain.

[Chris Shaw]

So pleased my little write inspired an even better one from you. Many thanks EP for your visit to this page.

Chris

[jacob erin-cilberto]

He would like this poem, Seamus would.
This is beautiful Chris...perfect wording...and magic to sit with a book of poems by a favorite poet.

[Chris Shaw]

Dear J, thank you for your kind comments. Pleased you like this one.

Chris

[John the Baptist]

Another nice nature setting, Chris. I agree with the philosophy, too. Actually, I'll stretch it a bit further. I prefer the company of a dead poet to that of most of the contemporary poets I've read.

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you John. Pleased you agree with the philosophy here. Some contemporary poets, I do enjoy, but Heaney is rather special.

Chris

[Lorry]

A gentle day spent amongst words that connect in a way that only poetry does.
Minus the distractions of life that we spend our life worrying way too much over, without realising that they'll still be there later, so why worry about them now, when we could just grab a book and spend a pleasant afternoon forgetting we are part of a race none of us signed up for.
It sure beats worrying about things that never change because we worry about them.
Now, what page was I on? 😊

[Chris Shaw]

A pleasant afternoon with a poetry book is a grand way to forget about the dross in life Lorry. Thank you do much fir stopping by. Hope you are recovering well. Take it easy.

Chris

[Lorry]

I'm getting there. Won't be long before I'm only struggling to keep up with Katie and not getting lapped 😊

[Chris Shaw]

Pleased to hear you are getting there. I’m sure your Katie will have you under her wing. :)

Chris

[Lorry]

Yes. In berween her writing a 300 page volume on my recooperat. Recuperr... Getting better 😊

[Chris Shaw]

Yep, she has her eye on you. Good woman:)

[W. Barrett Munn]

I don’t know if you meant it this way but I sensed a subtle eroticism in “ripples” and “my back arched” coming in adjoining lines.

Winston

[Chris Shaw]

Hello Winston. It was not intentional, but if you read my lines that way, that is fine by me. Many thanks for the visit.

Chris

[willweb]

Very relaxing and calming. This was beautifully written and creates a scene that feels like springtime to me. Soft grass, the shade of a big tree and a good book of poetry. Wonderful.

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you will. A nice quiet glade with a poetry book. An ideal retreat for a couple of hours in summer.

Chris