Are any of you Poetry Friday people going to be here at the International Reading Association conference this week? If so, it would be great to meet you. Leave a message in the comments!
Within the Alamo
He drew a straight line
Across the dirt floor:
Within, it was death-still--
Without, was a roar
And a scream of the trumpets:
Within, was a Word--
And a line drawn clean
By the sweep of a sword.
No help was coming, now--
That hope was done.
No more the free air,
no more the sun
Bright on the blue leagues
Of buffalo-clover.
Travis drew a line
And they all crossed over.
Travis had a wife at home,
Travis was young;
Travis had a little boy
Whose tight arms clung,
But Travis saw a far light
Shining before:
Travis drew a sword-cut
Across the dirt floor.
And now the old fort stands
Placid and dim,
Blinking and dreaming
Of them and of him;
And now past the Plaza
Other tides roar,
since Travis wrote "Valor"
Across the sand floor,
And the guns they will rust,
And the captains will go,
And an end come at last
To the wars that we know,
But as long as there travails
A Spirit in man,
In a war that was ancient
Before Time began,
Here will the brave come
To read a high Word--
Cut clean in the dust
By the stroke of a sword.
Across the dirt floor:
Within, it was death-still--
Without, was a roar
And a scream of the trumpets:
Within, was a Word--
And a line drawn clean
By the sweep of a sword.
No help was coming, now--
That hope was done.
No more the free air,
no more the sun
Bright on the blue leagues
Of buffalo-clover.
Travis drew a line
And they all crossed over.
Travis had a wife at home,
Travis was young;
Travis had a little boy
Whose tight arms clung,
But Travis saw a far light
Shining before:
Travis drew a sword-cut
Across the dirt floor.
And now the old fort stands
Placid and dim,
Blinking and dreaming
Of them and of him;
And now past the Plaza
Other tides roar,
since Travis wrote "Valor"
Across the sand floor,
And the guns they will rust,
And the captains will go,
And an end come at last
To the wars that we know,
But as long as there travails
A Spirit in man,
In a war that was ancient
Before Time began,
Here will the brave come
To read a high Word--
Cut clean in the dust
By the stroke of a sword.
Karle Wilson Baker
Here's are my Poetry Month posts since last Friday: on Saturday I shared "The Love-Hat Relationship," by Aaron Belz, on Sunday I missed a day (I was sick and we had electricity issues at home), on Monday I linked to Robbie's posting of Ralph Waldo Emerson's poem "Boston,", on Tuesday I mentioned the poetry reading I'd participated in that evening, on Wednesday I shared Gerard Manley Hopkins' "Pied Beauty", and on Thursday I was leaving on a jet plane, complete with video. Bonus: a link to Edwidge Danticat's beautiful essay about the Catholic cathedrals in Port-au-Prince, the one that was destroyed in the earthquake, and the one that is going to replace it. And the lines to the Progressive Poem, of course. Today you can find it, and the roundup, at Irene Latham's blog here.
Here's are my Poetry Month posts since last Friday: on Saturday I shared "The Love-Hat Relationship," by Aaron Belz, on Sunday I missed a day (I was sick and we had electricity issues at home), on Monday I linked to Robbie's posting of Ralph Waldo Emerson's poem "Boston,", on Tuesday I mentioned the poetry reading I'd participated in that evening, on Wednesday I shared Gerard Manley Hopkins' "Pied Beauty", and on Thursday I was leaving on a jet plane, complete with video. Bonus: a link to Edwidge Danticat's beautiful essay about the Catholic cathedrals in Port-au-Prince, the one that was destroyed in the earthquake, and the one that is going to replace it. And the lines to the Progressive Poem, of course. Today you can find it, and the roundup, at Irene Latham's blog here.
2 comments:
Ruth, I've been out of town, just returned home last night, & had a long day at work, just catching up on all the posts. Lovely poem about the Alamo. I've never been, but my son & family are now in Texas & visited. They said it was smaller than imagined, but the history was interesting. I hope you made it there. I don't blame you for going to Target-great store! Wonderful that you're there in San Antonio. I can't make it, but hope to get to Boston in the fall for NCTE. I hope you'll get to post about your experiences! Have a wonderful time!
Ruth, I hope you enjoyed your visit to the Alamo! I've visited before, a few years back. I do know there are poets in town for IRA- Janet Wong, Sylvia Vardell, Amy LV and others... be sure to contact them directly!
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