How did I ever get that far into life (1976) without
hearing-of or reading the beautiful poetry of
William Carlos Williams.
I discovered him on this wise---the year was 1976
and it was the joyous time of celebrating the nation's
SECOND CENTENNIAL, 200 years of independence!
Seemed that everybody and every company had a
dog in the celebration. Franklin Press came out with
something like "BEST BOOKS OF THE USA---FIRST
TWO HUNDRED YEARS," in leather---with bindings
of all colors and designs.
I have always loved books and had only one or two
in leather, and I bought the whole set and paid them
out a month at a time!
Oh joy! To just heft one and feel its quality and solidity,
almost makes one worship. And they still smell good!
Space doesn't permit my giving you the whole list,
but you can imagine---there are many novels, works
of history, and about a fourth of the books are
POETRY! (The pages of paper are of thousand-year
quality.)
That's how I first discovered William Carlos Williams.
The volume of his poems rests here by my "writing
place" to my left, in my special shelf, and I can reach
it with my left hand! The sun is shining through the
window...right over it.
WCW was born in Rutherford, N.J. in 1883. He
studied medicine, became a doctor, and began
practicing there in his hometown.
Earlier on he had wanderlust and traveled Europe
and parts of the USA with various poets of the
time and had begun to write poetry.
He enjoyed his medical practice and was popular
with his patients---folks of various ethnicities,
backgrounds, and stations in life. Most of them
never knew their doctor was a poet.
He was a keen observer and student of his clientele.
Their stories, hopes, and lives were reflected back
in fragments and tiny glimpses in his poetry.
He is quoted as saying to a fellow poet--- "I've
met a hell of a lot more of-all kinds of people than
you'll ever get your eyes on, and I've known them
inside and out in ways you'll never know."
----------------
William Carlos William's poetry had a delightful
optimism in its view of life, rather than a more
dour take common in several of his fellow poets.
To the literary world he was to become one of
the "most original poetic voices of the twentieth
century."
------------------
When you study WCW, you will likely be
surprised, for almost always, the first of his
poems to be noted...is his shortest one. (Don't
let that fool you...just enjoy one of the most-
famous poems of the world.)
"THE RED WHEELBARROW"
*********************************
by WCW
so much depends
upon
a red wheel
barrow
glazed with rain
water
beside the white
chickens
---------------
I've admired WCW's poetry, his skill, his insights,
and oft tried to learn...and emulate him...
(Poetry teachers say it's okay to "imitate other
poets...at home...")
Here are two I did before coffee: (always write
about the first thing that hits you)
"A BLOND-HEADED BIRD?"
*******************************
by MIL
Though my window
playing
in the waxy bush
I've seen
black-headed birds
brown-headed birds
blue-headed jays
and even little
red-headed birds
but
have never seen ONE
blond-headed bird
-----------
"WRITING POETRY"
**********************_
by MIL
when you write
poetry
you are painting
an idea
a thought
a concept
or maybe
a beautiful picture
not with brush
or paint
but
with words.
******************
BY MIL
7/29/16
PHOTO BY KINDELL BRINAY
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