Kickstarter Update

Year 1:

31 Previously Unpublished Poems

19 Reprints

2 Poems Nominated for Rhysling Awards

1 Poem Nominated for a Dwarf Stars Award

Poem of the Day: "The Hurricane" by William Carlos Williams, Poet of the Month

The Songs of Eretz Poem of the Day for August 30, 2014 is "The Hurricane" (1944) by William Carlos Williams, Poet of the Month.  The poem was taken from Williams' Collected Poems:  1939 - 1962, Volume II.  The text of the poem may be found here:  http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/hurricane.  A brief biography of Williams and references may be found here:  http://eretzsongs.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-songs-of-eretz-poet-of-month-for.html.

"The Hurricane" is a short poem, consisting of only six lines (including the title), and having a word count of only twenty-one (including the title).  There is a rather severe use of enjambment throughout, but no obvious use of Williams' signature variable foot.  Some of Williams' early influence by the Imagists may be seen, as the first two lines form a crisp, simple, common image.  The remainder of the poem is rather enigmatic, and it is unclear in the conversation between garage and tree as to who is urging whom to go to heaven.

Kickstarter Update

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Poem of the Day: "Landscape with the Fall of Icarus" by William Carlos Williams, Poet of the Month

The Songs of Eretz Poem of the Day for August 29, 2014 is "Landscape with the Fall of Icarus" by William Carlos Williams, Poet of the Month.  The poem was taken from Williams' Collected Poems:  1939 - 1962, Volume II.  The text of the poem may be found here:  http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/landscape-fall-icarus.  A brief biography of Williams and references may be found here:  http://eretzsongs.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-songs-of-eretz-poet-of-month-for.html.

"Landscape with the Fall of Icarus" is an ekphrastic poem after Pieter Bruegel the Elder's painting of the same title (pictured).  Note that Williams explains what is prominent in the painting and, sadly, what is not--the death of Icarus, splashing into the sea unnoticed.  Williams, who did not achieve much fame as a poet until the last few years of his life, no doubt feared that his own passing and his poetry would suffer a similar fate http://www.bouwman.com/netherlands/Landscape.html.

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Poem of the Day: "Details for Paterson"

The Songs of Eretz Poem of the Day for August 28, 2014 is "Details for Paterson" by William Carlos Williams, Poet of the Month.  The poem was taken from The Collected Poems of William Carlos Williams (1988).  The text of the poem may be found here: http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/details-paterson.  A brief biography of Williams and references may be found here:  http://eretzsongs.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-songs-of-eretz-poet-of-month-for.html. 

The first two stanzas of "Details for Paterson" are an example of a memorable event about which the poet felt compelled to compose a poem--one of those "bests that love / has given...."  The use of "it" instead of "them" in the third line cannot refer to the "circulars" (unless the poet made a grammatical error).  "It" refers to throwing away a job opportunity and to the boy's poor character--a tragedy worthy of comment, and as opposed to the Boy Scout, whose character is assumed to be impeccable.

Poem of the Day: "For the Poem Paterson" by William Carlos Williams, Poet of the Month

The Songs of Eretz Poem of the Day for August 27, 2014 is "For the Poem Paterson" by William Carlos Williams, Poet of the Month.  The poem was taken from The Collected Poems of William Carlos Williams (1988).  The text of the poem may be found here: http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/poem-paterson-3-st-valentine.  A brief biography of Williams and references may be found here:  http://eretzsongs.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-songs-of-eretz-poet-of-month-for.html. 

"For the Poem Paterson" is the first rhyming poem of Williams' that we have examined this month.  Note that the rhymes are both end-line and within lines--woven into the variable feet of the piece.  The choice of the word "stave" rather than the expected "save" in the second quatrain is interesting and, I admit, enigmatic.  Perhaps it refers to the act of penetration.  The playful eroticism and bawdy tone create a whimsical quality for a Valentine's Day greeting.

Poem of the Day: "on getting a card" by William Carlos Williams, Poet of the Month

The Songs of Eretz Poem of the Day for August 26, 2014 is "on getting a card" by William Carlos Williams, Poet of the Month.  The poem was taken from The Collected Poems of William Carlos Williams, Volume 1: 1909 - 1939.  The text of the poem may be found here:  http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/poem-getting-card.  A brief biography of Williams and references may be found here:  http://eretzsongs.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-songs-of-eretz-poet-of-month-for.html.

Here we see another example of Williams' variable foot and prosaic poesy.  The sentiments expressed are delightful, especially about how Williams' colleague (or perhaps rival) differs with him but does not realize that he does.

Poem of the Day: "This Is Just To Say" by William Carlos Williams, Poet of the Month

The Songs of Eretz Poem of the Day for August 25, 2014 is "This Is Just To Say" by William Carlos Williams, Poet of the Month.  The poem was taken from The Collected Poems of William Carlos Williams, Volume 1: 1909 - 1939.  The text of the poem may be found here: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/245576.  A brief biography of Williams and references may be found here:  http://eretzsongs.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-songs-of-eretz-poet-of-month-for.html.

"This Is Just To Say," whose title acts as the first line of the poem, is nothing more than a note from, presumably, one spouse to the other.  The note has been arranged in verse.  An argument could be made that it is not a poem at all--there is no use of metaphor, no imagery, nothing beyond a banal prose piece.  However, the theme is universal, and the final stanza has some emotional impact--just a little cruel and spiteful but in a familiar way.

Poem of the Day: "Sonnet in Search of an Author" by William Carlos Williams, Poet of the Month

The Songs of Eretz Poem of the Day for August 24, 2014 is "Sonnet in Search of an Author" by William Carlos Williams, Poet of the Month.  The poem was taken from Pictures from Brueghel (1962).  The text of the poem may be found here: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/248444.  A brief biography of Williams and references may be found here:  http://eretzsongs.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-songs-of-eretz-poet-of-month-for.html.

"Sonnet in Search of an Author" is a satire of the traditional love sonnet as evidenced by, among other things, use of the word "odor" instead of the more romantic "fragrance" or "scent."  The narrator, presumably the poet, laments that a sonnet could be made of the conceit of wood or woodland odors as metaphor for body odor while all the while actually composing a fourteen-line poem (or sonnet of sorts) upon the subject.

Poem of the Day: "Postlude" by William Carlos Williams, Poet of the Month

The Songs of Eretz Poem of the Day for August 23, 2014 is "Postlude" by William Carlos Williams, Poet of the Month.  The poem was taken from The Collected Poems of William Carlos Williams, Volume 1: 1909 - 1939.  The text of the poem, along with an audio recording by the poet of it, may be found here:  http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poem/1905.  A brief biography of Williams and references may be found here:  http://eretzsongs.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-songs-of-eretz-poet-of-month-for.html.

"Postlude" is a poem about love lost, as is obvious from the title as well as the opening line.  Today's readers should not be mislead by the use of "Lesbian" in the seventh line.  "Lesbian," with a capital "L," refers to the isle of Lesbos (pictured) near Turkey, not to a female homosexual.  Lesbos was the home of the poet Sappho http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/sappho.

As the final stanza reveals, the speaker, presumably the poet, is still haunted by dreams of his lost love.  The last line may refer to pent up sexual desire going unsatisfied, or perhaps to Jason and the Argonauts, depending upon how dirty one's mind is.

Poem of the Day: "Mujer" by William Carlos Williams, Poet of the Month

The Songs of Eretz Poem of the Day for August 22, 2014 is "Mujer" by William Carlos Williams, Poet of the Month.  The poem was taken from The Collected Poems of William Carlos Williams, Volume 1: 1909 - 1939.*  The text of the poem (with a typo in the title*) may be found here:  http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/174768.  A brief biography of Williams and references may be found here:  http://eretzsongs.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-songs-of-eretz-poet-of-month-for.html.

Is Williams literally telling us an ironically humorous tale about a pet cat with this poem?  Or does the title, "Mujer" (Spanish for "woman"), imply that the cat is a metaphor for some of the underclass women for whom Williams served as an obstetrician?

*http://books.google.com/books?id=_PTHci_8mcQC&pg=PA78&lpg=PA78&dq=mujer+william+carlos+williams&source=bl&ots=q-pjyKTtIx&sig=IxPGEVF922vaCLatN9cg91cL6YU&hl=en&sa=X&ei=iqHzU9ekF5KPyAST84DwDQ&ved=0CEIQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=mujer%20william%20carlos%20williams&f=false

Glitch Discovered

Dear Friends of Eretz,

As I was examining older posts in the Poetry Review, I noticed that some of the links to poems link to the wrong poem.  I have uncovered the glitch that caused the problem and eliminated it from August's posts one by one (quite a tedious process) and have put a protocol in place to prevent the glitch in the future.

Some of the features posted prior to August 1, 2014 will still have the problem, but I have decided to spend my time and energy concentrating on the future rather than revising the past.  If a link in one of these older posts brings you to the wrong poem, a simple internet search for the poem by title and author will bring you to the correct one.  My sincerest apologies for not catching this problem sooner.

Kind regards,

Steven Wittenberg Gordon
Editor

Poem of the Day: "The Red Wheelbarrow" by William Carlos Williams, Poet of the Month

The Songs of Eretz Poem of the Day for August 21, 2014 is "The Red Wheelbarrow" by William Carlos Williams, Poet of the Month.  The poem was taken from The Collected Poems of William Carlos Williams, Volume 1: 1909 - 1939.  The text of the poem, as well as an audio recording by the poet of it, may be found here:  http://www.poetryfoundation.org/learning/guide/178804#poem.  A brief biography of Williams and references may be found here:  http://eretzsongs.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-songs-of-eretz-poet-of-month-for.html.

Non-sequitor or deeply profound?  It is difficult to decide into which category "The Red Wheelbarrow" should be placed.  There is a bit of the Imagist Williams here, as a crisp image of the wet red barrow contrasting with the white chickens is evoked.  But then, why it is that "so much depends / upon" a wheelbarrow?  Perhaps the poet's aim was to get his readers to think outside the box--or at least outside the barrow.

Poem of the Day: "Tract" by William Carlos Williams, Poet of the Month

The Songs of Eretz Poem of the Day for August 20, 2014 is "Tract" (1962) by William Carlos Williams, Poet of the Month.  The text of the poem may be found here:  http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/tract.  A brief biography of Williams and references may be found here:  http://eretzsongs.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-songs-of-eretz-poet-of-month-for.html.

Sadly, as Williams reminds us, funerals often become more about the attendants than the decedents.  As "Tract" was published in 1962, and Williams by then was in poor health and would die a year later, perhaps he was thinking about how he would like his own funeral to be.

Poem of the Day: "Dedication for a Plot of Ground" by William Carlos Williams, Poet of the Month

The Songs of Eretz Poem of the Day for August 19, 2014 is "Dedication for a Plot of Ground" by William Carlos Williams, Poet of the Month.  The poem was taken from The Collected Poems of William Carlos Williams, Volume 1: 1909 - 1939.  The text of the poem, as well as an audio recording of it by the poet, may be found here:  http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/174767.  A brief biography of Williams and references may be found here:  http://eretzsongs.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-songs-of-eretz-poet-of-month-for.html.

"Dedication for a Plot of Ground" is an elegy to Emily Dickinson Wellcome, Williams' English maternal grandmother, a profound influence on Williams who lived with his family for a time http://archive.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap7/wcw.html.  In a fierce, Whitmanian style, the poem recounts the highlights of her hard life; parts are semi-autobiographical, revealing much about William Carlos' Spanish roots.

Poem of the Day: "The crowd at the ball game" by William Carlos Williams, Poet of the Month

The Songs of Eretz Poem of the Day for August 18, 2014 is "The crowd at the ball game" by William Carlos Williams, Poet of the Month.  The poem was taken from The Collected Poems of William Carlos Williams, Volume 1: 1909 - 1939.  The text of the poem may be found here:  http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/174766.  A brief biography of Williams and references may be found here:  http://eretzsongs.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-songs-of-eretz-poet-of-month-for.html.

In "The crowd at the ball game," Williams beautifully and cynically captures what it feels like to be part of the crowd at a ball game.  I will admit that I am not much of a sports fan, but I do like it when the Kansas City Royals and Chiefs do well.  Tickets are expensive, but I do splurge about once a year on Royals tickets for me and my family (pictured).  While deep down intellectually Williams knew and I know that neither I as an individual nor the crowd as a whole have any influence on the outcome of a game, I nevertheless get caught up in the drama and majesty of the spectacle and feel a part of it.  And, of course, I especially like it when Alex Gordon does well :)

Poem of the Day: "The Widow's Lament in Springtime" by William Carlos Williams, Poet of the Month

The Songs of Eretz Poem of the Day for August 17, 2014 is "The Widow's Lament in Springtime" by William Carlos Williams, Poet of the Month.  The poem was taken from The Collected Poems of William Carlos Williams, Volume 1: 1909 - 1939.  The text of the poem, as well as an audio recording of it by the poet, may be found here:  http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poem/4671.  A brief biography of Williams and references may be found here:  http://eretzsongs.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-songs-of-eretz-poet-of-month-for.html.

As a physician, Williams no doubt treated many widows and observed firsthand their profound sense of loss.  Writing from the POV of a widow, Williams uses his abilities as both physician and poet to capture a sense of what psychiatrists call "anhedonia," a loss of interest in things that once provided pleasure--a hallmark of major depression.  He also captures another symptom of profound depression--suicidal ideation. 

Poem of the Day: "Blizzard" by William Carlos Williams, Poet of the Month

The Songs of Eretz Poem of the Day for August 16, 2014 is "Blizzard" by William Carlos Williams, Poet of the Month.  The poem was first published in Sour Grapes: A Book of Poems in 1921 http://www.amazon.com/Collected-Poems-William-Carlos-Williams/dp/0811211878.  It is in the public domain and therefore legally reprinted here.  A brief biography of Williams and references may be found here:  http://eretzsongs.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-songs-of-eretz-poet-of-month-for.html.

Blizzard

William Carlos Williams

Snow:

years of anger following

hours that float idly down —

the blizzard

drifts its weight

deeper and deeper for three days

or sixty years, eh? Then

the sun! a clutter of

yellow and blue flakes —

Hairy looking trees stand out

in long alleys

over a wild solitude.

The man turns and there —

his solitary track stretched out

upon the world.

At first, life is difficult, swirling with anger and emotion.  One drifts as does snow, without purpose, for a time whether long or short.  Finally life improves; the sun comes out, and one may look back at the tracks in the snow, the solitary path which has been trodden.  So, man lives his life alone, most of it in confusion, as if lost in a blizzard.

Poem of the Day: "Complete Destruction" by William Carlos Williams, Poet of the Month

The Songs of Eretz Poem of the Day for August 15, 2014 is "Complete Destruction" by William Carlos Williams, Poet of the Month.  The poem was first published in Sour Grapes: A Book of Poems in 1921 http://www.bachlund.org/Complete_Destruction.htm.  It is in the public domain and therefore legally reprinted here.  A brief biography of Williams and references may be found here:  http://eretzsongs.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-songs-of-eretz-poet-of-month-for.html.

Complete Destruction

William Carlos Williams

It was an icy day.

We buried the cat,

then took her box

and set fire to it

in the back yard.

Those fleas that escaped

earth and fire

died by the cold.

There are three iambic feet in the first line, a complete sentence, ending in a period.  This sets the scene.  The following sentence, comprised of four lines each containing two metric feet, moves with a staccato rapidity.  The final sentence, comprised of three lines each containing two metric feet, moves the poem in a similar manner to its rapid conclusion:  the death of the family cat, the burning of the cat's box, and finally the death of all of the fleas that once lived off the cat--total destruction.

Poem of the Day: "Winter Trees" by William Carlos Williams, Poet of the Month

The Songs of Eretz Poem of the Day for August 14, 2014 is "Winter Trees" by William Carlos Williams, Poet of the Month.  The poem was first published in Sour Grapes: A Book of Poems in 1921 http://www.americanpoems.com/poets/williams/1051.  It is in the public domain and therefore legally reprinted here.  A brief biography of Williams and references may be found here:  http://eretzsongs.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-songs-of-eretz-poet-of-month-for.html.

Winter Trees
William Carlos Williams

All the complicated details
of the attiring and
the disattiring are completed!
A liquid moon
moves gently
among the long branches.
Thus having prepared their buds
against a sure winter
the wise trees
stand sleeping in the cold.

This short poem about trees in winter would have been a tired subject, even in 1921.  However, Williams used his signature variable foot and Imagist style to breathe fresh life into the subject.

Kickstarter Update

TO ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE SONGS OF ERETZ, CLICK HERE:  http://kck.st/1kJ4mJw

Dear Friends of Eretz,

The vast majority of poetry venues, whether paying or not, will not consider reprints (poems previously published elsewhere) for publication.  Songs of Eretz Poetry E-zine is a rare exception and pays more for reprints than some venues do for previously unpublished work.

Add your voice:  http://kck.st/1kJ4mJw.

Kind regards,

Steven Wittenberg Gordon, Editor

Poem of the Day: "To a Poor Old Woman" by William Carlos William, Poet of the Month

The Songs of Eretz Poem of the Day for August 13, 2014 is "To a Poor Old Woman" by William Carlos Williams, Poet of the Month.  The poem was taken from The Collected Poems of William Carlos Williams, Volume 1: 1909 - 1939.  The text of the poem as well as an audio recording of it by the poet may be found here:  http://www.poetryfoundation.org/learning/guide/236558#poem.  A brief biography of Williams and references may be found here:  http://eretzsongs.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-songs-of-eretz-poet-of-month-for.html.

Williams repeats the phrase "they taste good to her" in the manner that some poets use anaphora or refrain.  Williams uses this repetition to drive into the mind of the reader the image of someone enjoying a really tasty plum, elevating Imagist poetry beyond mere image, as taste, smell, texture, and sound, while not directly addressed, are also evoked.  For that moment, the total enjoyment of the plum becomes the center of the universe.

Kickstarter Update

TO ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE SONGS OF ERETZ, CLICK HERE:  http://kck.st/1kJ4mJw

Dear Friends of Eretz,

The daily Poetry Review offers special features from time to time showcasing the work of poets that either just missed the cut for publication in Songs of Eretz Poetry E-zine or poetry that, while good, was just not a good fit for the aesthetic of the e-zine.  As with features in the e-zine, each poem is accompanied by the poet's notes and bio, as well as a comment by the editor and a thoughtfully chosen graphic.  100 to 1,000 readers enjoy the Review every day, so that makes for good exposure for the poems and poets!

Add your voice:  http://kck.st/1kJ4mJw.

Kind regards,

Steven Wittenberg Gordon, Editor

Poem of the Day: "Danse Russe" by William Carlos Williams, Poet of the Month

The Songs of Eretz Poem of the Day for August 12, 2014 is "Danse Russe" by William Carlos Williams, Poet of the Month.  The poem was taken from The Collected Poems of William Carlos Williams, Volume 1: 1909 - 1939.  The text of the poem may be found here:  http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/175782.  An audio recording of the poem by the poet may be found here:  https://media.sas.upenn.edu/pennsound/authors/Williams-WC/25_UC-Berkeley_05-19-55/Williams-WC_14_Danse-Russe_UC-Berkeley_05-19-55.mp3.  A brief biography of Williams and references may be found here:  http://eretzsongs.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-songs-of-eretz-poet-of-month-for.html.

Williams wanted to be a renowned poet.  He wanted that badly.  However, he was a physician and had to live with the fact that in order to support himself and his family he must earn a living by practicing medicine full time.  I sympathize.  After an early but largely unnoticed success in the shadow of Ezra Pound during the Imagist movement, Williams' unique, desperate-to-be-heard voice was eclipsed by the fame and fortune of T. S. Elliot.  Williams would remain in relative obscurity until so late in life that, due to the affects of several strokes, he could not fully appreciate what little fame the Beats would give him as their adopted "Founding Father."

In "Danse Russe," Williams expresses his frustration with his lot.  While dancing grotesquely, naked in front of a mirror, he admits that he is alone, and that perhaps (sour grapes) that is for the best.  In this state of isolation, at least while the rest of his family sleeps, he can envision himself as lord of his own manor if not the captain of his own destiny.

Kickstarter Update

TO ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE SONGS OF ERETZ, CLICK HERE:  http://kck.st/1kJ4mJw

Dear Friends of Eretz,

Songs of Eretz has two main features:  the Poetry E-zine, and the daily Poetry Review.  The Poetry Review offers a daily analysis by the editor of a poem chosen by the editor.  A biography of the poet and links to further reading are included with each post.  Visit daily, and in one year you will have done close readings of 365 poems!  Think of how that would enrich your life!

Add your voice http://kck.st/1kJ4mJw.

Kind regards,

Steven Wittenberg Gordon, Editor

Poem of the Day: "Flowers by the Sea" by William Carlos Williams, Poet of the Month

The Songs of Eretz Poem of the Day for August 11, 2014 is "Flowers by the Sea" by William Carlos Williams, Poet of the Month.  The poem was taken from The Collected Poems of William Carlos Williams, Volume 1: 1909 - 1939.  The text of the poem may be found here:  http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/238104.  An audio recording of the poem by the poet may be found here:  https://media.sas.upenn.edu/pennsound/authors/Williams-WC/02_Library-of-Congress_05-05-45/Williams-WC_34_Flowers-by-Sea_Library-of-Congress_05-05-45.mp3.  A brief biography of Williams and references may be found here:  http://eretzsongs.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-songs-of-eretz-poet-of-month-for.html.

While organized in four couplets, "Flowers by the Sea" has a ballad-like lilt to it, a rhythm perhaps meant to evoke ocean waves.  The poet imagines that flowers may be thought of as waving like water, and that the ocean may be thought of as a gigantic plant whose stem is the earth itself.  Note the pun "tied" (for tide) in the fourth line, which is where the grand metaphors begin.

Kickstarter Update

TO ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE SONGS OF ERETZ, CLICK HERE:  http://kck.st/1kJ4mJw

Dear Friends of Eretz,

Songs of Eretz is a venue for good poetry of any genre or length--science fiction or mainstream, epic or haiku, if the poem is a good one, it will be seriously considered for publication.

Add your voice:  http://kck.st/1kJ4mJw.

Kind regards,

Steven Wittenberg Gordon, Editor

Poem of the Day: "A Love Song" by William Carlos Williams

The Songs of Eretz Poem of the Day for August 10, 2014 is "A Love Song" by William Carlos Williams, Poet of the Month.  The poem first appeared in Poems in 1916.  The text of the poem may be found here:  http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/241066.  An audio recording by the poet of a shorter version of the poem may be found here:  https://media.sas.upenn.edu/pennsound/authors/Williams-WC/02_Library-of-Congress_05-05-45/Williams-WC_12_Love-Song_Library-of-Congress_05-05-45.mp3.  A brief biography of Williams and references may be found here:  http://eretzsongs.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-songs-of-eretz-poet-of-month-for.html.

The form of "A Love Song" is interesting in that it was composed during Williams' Imagist phase, but already hints of his signature "variable foot" may be seen.  The subject of the poem is an old one, perhaps the oldest one, and it does not mock or add much to the words that poets have sung to their lovers from time eternal until the present day.  After all, who has not, at least at times, called his or her lover "honey?"

One image is worth highlighting--that of the yellow juxtaposed against a purple sky.  According to color theory, yellow and purple are complimentary colors, each one acting to bring out the best qualities of the other; true lovers may compliment each other in an analogous manner.

Kickstarter Update

TO ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE SONGS OF ERETZ, CLICK HERE:  http://kck.st/1kJ4mJw

Dear Friends of Eretz,

About 100 poems a month are submitted to Songs of Eretz, an average of three to four per day.  I personally, critically read each and every poem.  Sometimes it is difficult to fit this into my busy schedule--but I make sure that I somehow find the time.

Add your voice:  http://kck.st/1kJ4mJw.

Kind regards,

Steven Wittenberg Gordon, Editor

Poem of the Day: "It Is a Living Coral" by William Carlos Williams, Poet of the Month

The Songs of Eretz Poem of the Day for August 9, 2014 is "It Is a Living Coral" by William Carlos Williams, Poet of the Month.  The poem first appeared in The Arts in 1924.*  The text of the poem may be found here:  http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/237904.  An audio recording by the poet may be found here:  https://media.sas.upenn.edu/pennsound/authors/Williams-WC/07_Van-Nuys_11-16-50/Williams-WC_10_Living-Coral_Van-Nuys_11-16-50.mp3.  A brief biography of Williams and references may be found here:  http://eretzsongs.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-songs-of-eretz-poet-of-month-for.html.

In "It Is a Living Coral," Williams showcases his signature style in using his "variable foot."  The title serves as the first line of the poem.  "Living coral" refers to the ancient origin of the white marble used in the construction of the capitol, rock formed from the exoskeletons of coral http://geology.com/rocks/limestone.shtml.  The coral "lives" again as a symbol of the American system of government.

*http://books.google.com/books?id=P3Z_n3dMVEUC&pg=PA145&lpg=PA145&dq=it+is+a+living+coral+william+carlos+williams&source=bl&ots=dMIGfeDFqJ&sig=-TNF6X_uy3LVsUuYmOpyw8RgrAs&hl=en&sa=X&ei=6V_mU6LwJ4StyASRxYCgAg&ved=0CDkQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=it%20is%20a%20living%20coral%20william%20carlos%20williams&f=false

Kickstarter Update

TO ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE SONGS OF ERETZ, CLICK HERE:  http://kck.st/1kJ4mJw

Dear Friends of Eretz,

I'm a "how come" kind of guy.  That is why I take the extra time (sometimes quite a bit of extra time) to provide gentle, personal feedback to the poets who are kind enough to submit their poetry for consideration--even if it's just a sentence or two on what I liked and what I thought could use improvement.  I am proud to say that I have never given a generic response to a submission.

Add your voice:  http://kck.st/1kJ4mJw.

Kind regards,

Steven Wittenberg Gordon, Editor

Poetry Review Special Feature: "The Story" by Anita Haas

Songs of Eretz Poetry Review is pleased to present "The Story" by Anita Haas.  Mrs. Haas is a Canadian teacher and writer living in Madrid, Spain. She has published three books on film: Eugenio Martín: Un Director para todos los generos and John Phillip Law, Diabolik Angel with her husband, film historian Carlos Aguilar, and Eli Wallach: Vitalidad y Picardía on her own. She has also published articles, poems, and short stories in both English and Spanish. Most recently, her work has appeared in Literary Brushstrokes and Falling Star magazine.

             The Story

             Anita Haas

I found a story. It fell right out of the sky. Whole. It looked good; a subtle beginning, a round tubby middle, 

and a climactic surprise end.

So I caught it.

And I swallowed it.

And I thought, "What a great story this will be when I tell it, because it's mine now."

But it wasn't.

When I tried telling it, it fell out of me in one piece. Like a cobra's kill. No Magic.

So I swallowed it again, and perplexed, I lay down under a tree, where, like the cobra, I went to sleep.

When I woke up, I couldn't remember the story. Not a word, nor a turn of phrase.

"It has escaped." I thought, and I wandered away sadly.

            A few days later, the call of a bird stirred some distant memory.

It inspired a poem.

Another day, the shape of a cloud gave birth to a song.

The bubbles in my cider completed a sketch.

A neighbour's terrible discord ended a long neglected play.

And the thread of my needlework followed an uncharted path.

            Like the hen who feathers my pillow, and the horse tail stretched on my fiddle bow, so my story that 

fell whole from the sky, flies off in a flock of a thousand silver fragments … forming endless beginnings, 

middles and ends.

Poet’s Notes:  “The Story” is a reflection on how life affects art; how both physically and mentally we absorb things. Just as eating certain foods may result in shinier hair or stronger eyesight, our experiences affect us artistically. As a writer, I often overhear a great bit of gossip, or snatch of dialogue and think I might use it, only to realize it doesn’t fit anywhere. What intrigues me is how these nuggets work their way through the subconscious and often make their appearance where one least expects.

Editor’s Note:  I like the prose poem and fairytale feel of this poem as well as its interesting take on the creative process of writing.  “The Story” previously appeared in Quantum Leap and The Plum.