Question?
What poem most changed you as a human or most influenced you as a poet?
Nancy Simpson: "The Teeth Mother Naked at Last" by Robert Bly in 1970 and later incorporated into his book Sleepers Joining Hands both changed me as a human and influenced me as a poet. As I read the poem for the first time (alone, young and unknowing, an unquestioning American Citizen) I kept asking myself - "What is this? And answering myself: "It's war. It's the Vietnam war, and all war and every other lie about humanity that was ever told."
You can read this poem in it's entirety, if you can read it, if you can stay with it. I hope you will.
http://bibliosity.blogspot.com/2009/09/teeth-mother-naked-at-last.html
A second poem I hope you will read, in the same vein is Robert S. King's poem "After the War, The War," first published by Foundling Review. Read Now on line at FutureCycle Press.
http://futurecycle.org/FutureCyclePoetry/AfterTheWar.aspx
About Me
- Nancy Simpson
- Nancy Simpson's LIVING ABOVE THE FROST LINE, New and Selected Poems was published by Carolina Wren Press (N.C. Laureate Series, 2010.) She is the author of ACROSS WATER and NIGHT STUDENT, State Street Press, still available on WWW at Alibris and Books Again. Her poems have been published in Southern Poetry Review, Prairie Schooner, The Georgia Review and other literary magazines. "Carolina Bluebirds" was published in THE POETS GUIDE TO THE BIRDS, Anhinga Press). "Grass" was reprinted in the 50th Anniversary Issue of Southern Poetry Review: DON'T LEAVE HUNGRY ( U.of Arkansas Press.) Seven poems were reprinted in the textbook, SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN POETRY,(McFarland.) Two poems were published in SOLO CAFE, Two more poems were published in SOLO NOVO."In the Nantahala Gorge" was published in Pisgah Review. "Studying Winter" was reprinted in Pirene's Fountain Anthology and "The Collection" in Collecting Life Anthology. Most recently, Southern Poetry Review Edited by James Smith, published "Our Great Depression," and The Southern Poetry Anthology Vol. VII: NORTH CAROLINA,Edited by William Wright, reprinted "Leaving in the Dead of Winter."
2 comments:
Nancy, thanks very much for mentioning my poem. Your own work deserves mentioning as well.
Nancy,
Thanks for sharing the poem that influenced you as a poet. I also like Robert King's poem.
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