a poem a day ([info]exceptindreams) wrote,
2011-01-11 01:00:00
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1072: Traveling

"Traveling"
Stephen Dunn

If you travel alone, hitchhiking,
sleeping in woods,
make a cathedral of the moonlight
that reaches you, and lie down in it.
Shake a box of nails
at the night sounds
for there is comfort in your own noise.
And say out loud:
somebody at sunrise be distraught
for love of me,
somebody at sunset call my name.
There will soon be company.
But if the moon clouds over
you have to live with disapproval.
You are a traveler,
you know the open, hostile smiles
of those stuck in their lives.
Make a fire.
If the Devil sits down, offer companionship,
tell her you've always admired
her magnificent, false moves.
Then recite the list
of what you've learned to do without.
It is stronger than prayer.
Tags: stephen dunn

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  • 12 comments

[info]__floozy__

January 11 2011, 06:07:11 UTC 1 year ago

thank you :)
how do you find the poems you post?

[info]exceptindreams

January 11 2011, 06:14:08 UTC 1 year ago

You're welcome.

I find poems on websites (Poetry Foundation, Poetry 180, et cetera), through Livejournal communities/users (anotherhand, eventhealphabet, theysaid, greatpoets, scrapofpaper, etc.), through online poetry databases (JAMA, and so forth), in daily emails (Writer's Almanac, Your Daily Poem) in magazines (both print and online), in books (I have a few anthologies), and from suggestions emailed to me (exceptindreamsATgmailDOTcom).

[info]__floozy__

January 11 2011, 06:15:23 UTC 1 year ago

okay well your journal is always the highlight of my friends page :)

[info]exceptindreams

January 11 2011, 06:24:57 UTC 1 year ago

Thank you!

(Also, from random blogs and Tumblrs that I follow.)

[info]bubblingbeebles

January 11 2011, 06:08:38 UTC 1 year ago

Then recite the list of what you've learned to do without. It is stronger than prayer.

yes

[info]ti

January 12 2011, 00:59:10 UTC 1 year ago

this

[info]park_hye_in

January 11 2011, 07:08:12 UTC 1 year ago

god i love stephen dunn.

[info]browngirl

January 11 2011, 14:18:26 UTC 1 year ago

Based on your comment I just read the Stephen Dunn tag here, and now I need to find a book of his. My morning is immeasurably improved from having introduced his thoughts to my brain, so, thank you.

[info]aedrais

April 8 2011, 03:46:33 UTC 1 year ago

Whoa, I'm so late to comment, but - check out the theysaid livejournal community. I just posted "Loves" by Stephen Dunn, and while I've always rather liked him, reading "Loves" shook me to the core. Just wanted to spread the Stephen Dunn love. =)

[info]browngirl

January 11 2011, 13:30:58 UTC 1 year ago

Oh, that's exquisite.

[info]orangepeel

January 11 2011, 14:00:32 UTC 1 year ago

If the Devil sits down, offer companionship,
tell her you've always admired
her magnificent, false moves.

Ugh. So good!

[info]synergyisalie

January 12 2012, 03:12:35 UTC 4 months ago

Stronger than a prayer
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