The Glass
To love you in shadow as in the light
is light itself. In subterranean night
you sow the fields with fireflies of delight.
Lanarkshire holds you, under its grim grass.
But I hold what you were, like a bright glass
I carry brimming through the darkening pass.
Now see, why doesn't everyone rhyme? It's just so lovely.
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Funnily enough I was just thinking about the word brimming.
ReplyDeleteOne of the things I love about EM is this: I don't know much about the background to his work but it seems he just wrote unselfconsciously, never worrying about which pigeon hole he was sitting in. Flicking through his Collected, there are pages and pages of "experimental" poetry, pages and pages of more "traditional" poetry and all sorts in between.
i had an interesting conversation about rhyme and metre jst the other day. are you finished jury duty? may be up your way this week
ReplyDeletei think that notion of thinking about a word and then taking it where it takes him is very edwin morgan. i think looking at his work it's easy to see a joy about it
ReplyDeleteYes. I have visitors but I'm sure they'd be happy to meet you. Shout when you're on the way.
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Reminds me of what Marilyn Hacker said about her "formalism": she's just a hedonist who enjoys the pleasure of rhyme.
ReplyDeleteThis poem becomes even more resonant when thinks about it in terms of "the love that dare not speak its name." I'm reminded, then, of Steve Earle's line about why he likes living in Greenwich Village:
"I need to be able to walk out of my door and see a same-sex biracial couple walking down the street holding hands. That makes me feel safe."
i am loving both of these quotes!
ReplyDeletelove this Morgan poem, he's so distinct isn't he, you can hear his voice when you read it
ReplyDeleteit is just a lovely wee perfection of a poem in every respect. the more i look at it the more i enjoy it
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