Poetry isn’t a cure, and it isn’t a miracle. It won’t jump your car’s dead battery or fix your leaky roof. It won’t feed your baby or save your dying grandmother. But there are words, phrases, whole poems that—in the grimmest, loneliest, most shattered moments of my life—have offered me a lozenge of light.
—Anndee Hochman, in “The Poem Chooses You” in the March/April issue of Poets & Writers Magazine
Notes:
- Photo: Sean Mundy via A Quiet Life Quote: via Lines We Live By
- Prior “Lightly child, lightly” Posts? Connect here.
- Post Title & Inspiration: Aldous Huxley: “It’s dark because you are trying too hard. Lightly child, lightly. Learn to do everything lightly. Yes, feel lightly even though you’re feeling deeply. Just lightly let things happen and lightly cope with them.”
‘a lozenge of light’ – perfect
That, is the punch line.
True words of poetry, David. A poet only knows what he puts across.
Awww. Thank you Kamal.
Welcome David.
Bam
Boom!
This. Is. Perfect. A lozenge of light indeed. I’m running to grab my Stephen Dunn book now…need a hit!
Smiling. Stephen Dunn will do it…
That’s beautiful! Happy National Poetry Month!
It is! Thanks! I didn’t know that. Thanks for letting me know…
Simply beautiful.
“But there are words, phrases, whole poems that—in the grimmest, loneliest, most shattered moments of my life—have offered me a lozenge of light.”
I would like to memorize this – so beautiful.
Yes Roseanne. I too was swept away but that line.
“It is difficult
to get the news from poems
yet men die miserably every day
for lack
of what is found there.” william carlos williams
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing.
Oh-h…just read the source of this piece by Anndee Hochman, “The Poem Chooses You” and am so moved reading how these young teenagers discovered a love for poetry–enough to learn how to perform a poem with passion.
I agree Valerie. So moving…
Those lozenges of light have shown me the way over the last two years.
Beautiful post!
Yes Angeline. That “Lozenges of light” is the punch line. So powerful…
I was moved to read the source of this piece, too. “Poetry is a reminder that being human is a crazy weave of pain and beauty and that our job is to live it all, right out to the end of our days.” Beautiful!
It sure it Mary….loved it too…
… a lozenge of light. Indeed!
A lozenge we can’t get enough of!
Yes!
I’ve been absent, dealing with—you know—me. So I’m catching up and finding all the posts I should have been reading to help deal with me. Life’s a funny old bird.
You have had a lot to do. I get it. Always wonderful to have you back Sandy
Strong reaction to this incrediby beautiful, sensuous, sad and yet uplifting lozenge of light. Copied for further ponderation – poets’ privilege 🙂
Future ponderation. Like that.