Poems that you love

[ellajam]

Probably my favourite so far, deals with the subject matter so well, even though it is auto-refferential. Generally, I like Billy Collins quite much. Just to make sure, Billy, you are not him, are you?

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Billy Collins:

Introduction to Poetry

I ask them to take a poem  
and hold it up to the light  
like a color slide

or press an ear against its hive.

I say drop a mouse into a poem  
and watch him probe his way out,

or walk inside the poem’s room  
and feel the walls for a light switch.

I want them to waterski  
across the surface of a poem
waving at the author’s name on the shore.

But all they want to do
is tie the poem to a chair with rope  
and torture a confession out of it.

They begin beating it with a hose  
to find out what it really means.

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-from poetryfoundation.org

some surfers
ponder the science
and miracle of the wave