Writer's Block: A Favorite Poem

[packbat]

What is one of your favorite poems? View other answers

My favorite poem is "The Voice You Hear When You Read Silently" by Thomas Lux, published in The New Yorker, July 14, 1997. As far as I know, it is still in copyright and not legitimately available online - not even where I read it, online - except, arguably, in the Google Books free preview.

I know absolutely nothing of his other poetry.

Given that I cannot in good conscience reproduce Lux, I offer instead a bit of verse from one Dr. John McCrae:

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
    That mark our place; and in the sky
    The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
    Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
        In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
    The torch; be yours to hold it high.
    If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
        In Flanders fields.

Comments

[ailado.livejournal.com]

That's absolutely beautiful. Has me wondering where the hell my back issues are.

[packbat.livejournal.com]

I agree - it's not perfect, never is, but it's so thoroughly true. Sadly, I don't have a subscription myself, and I'm sure my parents recycled the issue long before I ever heard of the poem. It may be photocopying-at-the-library-someday for me!