Derek Walcott writes a poem for Barack Obama, who’s been sighted with a copy of his Collected Poems. Walcott’s Omeros sits on my bookshelf, a present a dozen years ago from an older, better read colleague - sits unopened: I didn’t read poetry then. These days, a long reading voyage later (through books but mostly, amazingly, through the Internet) I’ve begun, very late, to read poetry, and now eye the book.
Kind of a so-so poem by a fine
ReplyDeletepoet. Doesnt really cut to the
essence of Pres. Obama in any
memorable way--for me, at least.
Definitely no Whitman on Lincoln.
I look forward to Wolcott taking
on this subject over and over
in the coming years
I love that important moments in history are still commemorated with poetry.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting this--I would otherwise have missed it. And I have much enjoyed your past few entries, lovely prose poems all...
ReplyDeleteJean
ReplyDeleteI am enjoying your lovely word game creations and I appreciate your posts
Linda
I wondered how Walcott felt about that photo of Obama and his book getting round. I like the poem, but I thought the end maybe needed work. I also wonder if the formatting would look different if it weren't on the Times's site.
ReplyDelete