Poem Project

Introduction

The poem project was an email which asked that you send a poem to the sender before the current sender and then send it on to 3 or 5 friends. This meant that each participant received interesting poems from people they, probably, did not know.

Poems

InFlandersfieldsthepoppiesblow
Betweenthecrosses,rowonrow,
Thatmarkourplace;andinthesky
Thelarks,stillbravelysinging,fly
Scarceheardamidthegunsbelow.

WearetheDead.Shortdaysago
Welived,feltdawn,sawsunsetglow,
Lovedandwereloved,andnowwelie
InFlandersfields.

Takeupourquarrelwiththefoe:
Toyoufromfailinghandswethrow
Thetorch;beyourstoholdithigh.
Ifyebreakfaithwithuswhodie
Weshallnotsleep,thoughpoppiesgrow
InFlandersfields.

–Unknown(IreneMatthews)

LightShiningOutofDarkness
Godmovesinamysteriousway,
Hiswonderstoperform;
Heplantshisfootstepsinthesea,
Andridesuponthestorm.

Deepinunfathomablemines
Ofneverfailingskill,
Hetreasuresuphisbrightdesigns,
Andworkshissovereignwill.

Yefearfulsaints,freshcouragetake,
Thecloudsyesomuchdread
Arebigwithmercy,andshallbreak
Inblessingsonyourhead.

JudgenottheLORDbyfeeblesense,
Buttrusthimforhisgrace;
Behindafrowningprovidence,
Hehidesasmilingface.

Hispurposeswillripenfast,
Unfoldingev’ryhour;
Thebudmayhaveabittertaste,
Butsweetwillbetheflow’r.

Blindunbeliefissuretoerr,
Andscanhisworkinvain;
GODishisowninterpreter,
Andhewillmakeitplain.

–WilliamCowper(SimonPauk)

ItIsBetterToBeTogether
Itisbettertobe
together.Tossedtogether
inawhitewave,thantosee
theoceanlikeaneagle.

Itisbettertolie
inthestormyseething
thantojudgetheweather
inaneagle’seye.

Coldisthebird
whofliestoofar
intheclearvision
whichsaintsandeaglesshare:
theirfarawayeyesarebitter
withdarkenedprayer.

O,itisbettertotry
withthewhitewave,together
tooverturnthesky.

–RuthMiller(AmyStimson)

Busritindieaand
Elklangssyylweerkaatsingindieruit,
sithullesuf,metmondemoeggesluit,
diewerkersvandiestadwathuistoegaan.

Skaduwee-skimmeglyverby…Dislaat,
enlangligvaandelswapperoordiestraat
soosoor‘ndamdieblinkpadnadiemaan.

Onsploegdeurstormseemetonskaperskuit:
diestuurmanvoor,diepassasiersdiebuit
watonsasslawehuistoebringvanaand…

Dievaartuigwaggelafdraand,omdiedraai
metskrilgeknersenskommelendeswaai,
enhygenskokensnorkenswoegopdraand,

terwylons,soostweekindersopgetoë,
mekaartoelagmetglinsterendeoë…
Asofhuljammerlikhullotkanraai,

sithullesuf,metmondemoeggesluit,
elklangssyylweerkaatsingindieruit,
diewerkersvandiestadwathuistoegaan.

–ElisabethEybers(TobiLouw)

ithankYouGodformostthisamazing
day:fortheleapinggreenlyspiritsoftrees
andabluetruedreamofsky;andforeverything
whichisnaturalwhichisinfinitewhichisyes

(iwhohavediedamaliveagaintoday,
andthisisthesun’sbirthday;thisisthebirth
dayoflifeandofloveandwings:andofthegay
greathappeningillimitablyearth)

howshouldtastingtouchinghearingseeing
breathingany–liftedfromtheno
ofallnothing–humanmerelybeing
doubtunimaginableYou?

(nowtheearsofmyearsawakeand
nowtheeyesofmyeyesareopened)

–e.e.cummings1894-1962(SineadComninos)

Creation
Iwanderedlonelyasacloud
Thatfloatsonhigho’ervalesandhills,
WhenallatonceIsawacrowd,
Ahost,ofgoldendaffodils;
Besidethelake,beneaththetrees,
Flutteringanddancinginthebreeze.

Continuousasthestarsthatshine
Andtwinkleonthemilkyway,
Theystretchedinnever-endingline
Alongthemarginofabay:
TenthousandsawIataglance,
Tossingtheirheadsinsprightlydance.

Thewavesbesidethemdanced;butthey
Out-didthesparklingwavesinglee:
Apoetcouldnotbutbegay,
Insuchajocundcompany:
Igazed-andgazed-butlittlethought
Whatwealththeshowtomehadbrought:

Foroft,whenonmycouchIlie
Invacantorinpensivemood,
Theyflashuponthatinwardeye
Whichistheblissofsolitude;
Andthenmyheartwithpleasurefills,
Anddanceswiththedaffodils.

–Wordworth(Jean-LouisLeysens)