Song of Smoke
To watch you walk
cross the room in your black
corduroys is to see
civilization start--
the wish-
whish-whisk
of your strut is flint
striking rock--the spark
of a length of cord
rubbed till
smoke starts--you stir
me like coal
and for days smoulder.
I am no more
a Boy Scout and besides,
could never
put you out--you
keep me on
all day like an iron, out
of habit--
you threaten, brick--
house, to burn
all this down. You leave me
only a chimney.
Kevin Young
.
I love Kevin Young's story telling style of American poetry.
He was born 1970 in Lincoln, Nebraska. His awards and honors
include a Stegner Fellowship in Poetry at Stanford University, a
Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship, a MacDowell Colony Fellowship,
and an NEA fellowship. He taught at the University of Georgia and
at Indiana University, my daughter's alma mater. (yay IU!)
Currently, he is the Atticus Haygood Professor of English and
Creative Writing and curator of the Raymond Danowski Poetry
Library at Emory University and lives in Boston and Atlanta.
photo courtesy of Flickr, Sloney69
photo courtesy of Flickr, Sloney69
Well I like the words a lot. I can relate to some of it. I like his photo too. Nice post.
ReplyDeleteLove that. Well written.
ReplyDeleteThank you for introducing us to this fantastic poet.
ReplyDeleteOh my dear Willow, thank you for introducing me to Kevin Young. I never read any of his work, but if this poem is an indication of his talent...oooooo..I like it!
ReplyDeleteWhat I like about visiting your Manor is how I am always surprised with something beautiful and heartfelt, good to eat, wonderful to watch, and rich to read.
Thank you!!!
Happy Earth Day!
Isabel
"smoke starts--you stir
ReplyDeleteme like coal"
I like his style!
Kat
I'll have my first entry for TT up in about five minutes.
That is a cool poem-- I can see why you like his work-- & a good take on the "fire" theme.
ReplyDeleteWhew....can you say SMOKIN' ?
ReplyDeletePowerful stuff. Thanks for the intro! {fanning myself}
Great poem, but I'm more taken with the photo of Edna St Vincent Millay in front of Washington Square. Have you seen her skinny little house in the Village?
ReplyDeleteI can hear the sound of fabric meeting fabric and smell the slow smoky sizzle.
ReplyDeleteGood stuff. I would like to read more of his work. Thanks for the introduction.
Beautiful poem. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteEven in my exhausted brain dead state....that was very moving Willow!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pairing, Willow.
ReplyDeleteHappy Earth Day, Willow!!!
ReplyDeletePretty sexy stuff. I have to say that you and Kat are going to make a poetry-lover of me yet.
ReplyDeletePure erotica filled with phallic symbols to the brim. A very male poem.
ReplyDeleteThank you the bio and intro to Kevin Young. I like the first two stanza.
ReplyDeletewow. hot poem, such great words. thanks for the intro, and happy TT.
ReplyDeleteMaureen, no, I've not seen Millay's house in the Village. Is it preserved as her home?
ReplyDeleteHi willow,
ReplyDeleteI don't know this man but I think he is a very successful poet if creating a set of vivid images accompanied by deep feeling is any criteria. The poem scorched itself on my mind...
phallic or the only standing remnant - I don't know...
Wonderful poem! I just love learning of poets; it's one of the neat surprises of the internet that it has been a link to poets and authors whose works are so deserving of being discovered, known, read. I'll be looking for more David Young.
ReplyDeleteYour blog continues to charm! I like how you're always changing it.
Beautiful writing and thanks again for introducing all to someone relatively new. At least, new to me. It's good to see that he was honored for his work in his lifetime. Rare for so many artists.
ReplyDeleteWillow, thanks for the introduction.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the introduction...I like his style and the photo...I'll be sure to put him on my list.
ReplyDeleteVivid imagery and he captured the whole story in very few well-placed words.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter loves to write poetry and received a fullride scholarship to university with a double major in English and Art. Can't wait to see what she does.
She's traveling right now but I will be showing this to her when she comes home. :)
If you have time today Willow, drop by. Tell me if you don't think Jodie Foster and Josh Holloway look just alike.
Thanks, also, for the introduction - I'll look for more.
ReplyDeleteBTW, who thinks up the subject for Theme Thursday? I notice that others do it too. LBx
Oh, neat! I had not heard of Kevin Young before; thank you for the introduction. It's a terrific poem.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun piece! I like it. I like it. Yeah!
ReplyDeleteHe doesn't look like a Kevin.
ReplyDeleteVery cool poem Willow ( pardon the pun ). I can definitely relate.
ReplyDeleteCoccinella, scroll down and click on the link for Theme Thursday on my side bar. Sign up for next week's. It's a lot of fun!
ReplyDelete'To watch you walk
ReplyDeletecross the room in your black
corduroys is to see
civilization start'
Talk about Killer Opening Songs, this is a Killer Opening Line. It grabbed me by the scruff of my neck and shook me around like there was no tomorrow. Fire is passion, I am amazed that Scorpios are not a fire sign. Mind you, water can be as easily fierce. And today's Shakespeare's birthday and this poem reminds me of the Bard's very own sonnets. Full pf incendiary passions. Is it wrong to prefer his sonnets to his plays? I was always outnumbered in uni for going for the former rathern than the latter.
This is a new poet and I like his take on life very much. Many thanks for introducing him to me.
Greetings from London.
Powerful poem. I've not heard of him so I now have someone new to read.
ReplyDeleteI like both words and the photo you've chosen to go with. Very nice post!
ReplyDeleteVery interesting poem...and I've never heard of the poet!
ReplyDeleteOh I do feel old-fashioned. Give me the C19 any day.
ReplyDeleteHello Willow,
ReplyDeletePoetry has so many ways to tell a story and which "grab" each of us differently. It would be interesting to read more of his work.
Very interesting. I'm so glad you introduced me to this poet.
ReplyDeletePowerful poem and photo to match. Had not heard of him so am glad to be introduced.
ReplyDeleteTerrific poem -- powerful images. Thanks for the introduction!
ReplyDeleteNice poem Willow.Thank you.You're making me dicovering him.Have a nice weekend!
ReplyDelete:)
Willow! We DO have the same affinity for faces! And you were SPOT ON with Fred Astaire and Nancy Reagan. LOL Thanks for sending me the link. :)
ReplyDeleteI really love the photo and the poem. Thanks again for sharing this, Willow!
ReplyDeleteinteresting poem and thoughs on love. thanks for the intro
ReplyDeleteWhere do you find all these poets? :p
ReplyDeleteYes.A Very Subtle Poem.Thank You.He's A New Poet To Me.
ReplyDeleteThat is a wonderful poem. I will have to check out more of his work.
ReplyDeleteWonderful--I am not familiar with him, and always welcome learning about a new poet--thanks, Willow! Lovely!
ReplyDeleteI like it! Good accompanying photo, too.
ReplyDeleteA mature turner of phrase, I would say. Striking photo as well.
ReplyDeleteSubtle, clever take on the theme.
Good one.
Good poet, will have to look more of his up! thanks
ReplyDeleteWhat a great poem! Yet another American poet for me to chase up.
ReplyDeleteAnd if anybody knows where I can buy a pair of black corduroy trousers, I will be forever grateful. Unobtainable in the UK!
Hmm burnin love? So true, it's always the chimmney . . probably often the only thing made tough enough to withstand the blaze.
ReplyDeleteAll that, and a goatee too?
ReplyDeleteCool post lol Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteTake care
peace and love
xoxo
I enjoyed this.
ReplyDeleteHi! Willow,
ReplyDeleteWhat a very interesting poem by
Kevin Young.
Thanks, for sharing!...What seems to be a "unknown," but talented poet's poem.(At least, right now he is..."unknown.") and just like you, I'am about to introduce a "unknown" but talented
director.
Thanks,
Deedee ;-D
Hey, here are some raisins. Go to ncpoetlaureate.blogspot.com to read some REALLy good poetry by NC poets. Young's poem is ok. But I I daresay (dare I?), that you'll find just as good, if not better, on my NC laureate blog. Come on in.
ReplyDeleteK. B.