Tuesday, April 05, 2011

April Halprin Wayland - Dear Whoever Composes the Sky

DEAR WHOEVER COMPOSES THE SKY
by
April Halprin Wayland

Hi.

I look up tonight at the black and the light
at the faint and the bright

I like how you do it.
I like what you've done.

I shiver. But I won't go inside.
I want to stay here, want to watch the stars quiver.

They're wallpaper, ceiling, they fill me with feeling
that this is what's real.

Just being out here
in the nippy night air—

you: way up there.
Me: way down here.

I came out to say hi.
And say thanks for this sky.

©2011 April Halprin Wayland. All rights reserved.

Can we just all say "awwww!" Thank you. No, wait... not enough. I mean, can't you SEE the sky April Halprin Wayland is talking about here? And yet I know that what you're seeing isn't the same as what I'm seeing or what April was seeing. So let's add in an "Oooooooh" for that, too. Thank you.

I won't add any other sound effects, but I will direct you to April's poetry-month blog where she's writing a poem a day. It's well worth a read (as, I must add, is her prior contribution here - How To Read A Poem Aloud). Plus you could go out and pick up her award-winning picture book New Year at the Pier... or you can simply join me in a note to whoever composed the above poem and say "Fabulous!" Or all of the above! Yup, once again, I must say I'm thrilled to have April Halprin Wayland here as part of 30 Poets/30 Days.

Yesterday brought us Siguan by Joseph Bruchac. Tomorrow... Graham Denton with I Am Huffing, I Am Puffing. For more information on 30 Poets/30 Days and how to follow along, please click here.

13 comments:

carolgrannick said...

Oh, lovely. And awake in the middle of the night, April's poem arrived at a perfect time to replace the cloudy sky outside my writing doors.

Charles Waters said...

Love her tribute to the sky above. Must add her blog to my list of favorites forthwith!!!!!

tanita✿davis said...

I love the idea of sky as nightly composition. I, too, like what's been done. Here's hoping it the clouds peel back and I can see a little more.

laurasalas said...

Love this. It feels so...clean, somehow. The topic itself, but all the words, too--just pristine. Each needed, but not a single extra one. Thanks, April and Greg!

George Ella Lyon said...

I love this tender, enormous, and inclusive poem!

Jane Heitman Healy said...

Aww and oooh! Aww and oooh!

Amy L V said...

This poem enchants me with its honest gratitude and magical simplicity. Thank you! A.

April Halprin Wayland said...

Thanks, Greg...and thanks for all these beautiful comments. The story behind the poem is that I was writing my poem-a-day (this one was on Feb. 22nd)and I had no ideas. So tired of staring into this little grey screen. So I padded outside and got it: THIS is where it matters. This is where real life is going on.

Thanks again, Greg!

Unknown said...

Gorgeous! I do a program for elementary and middle school kids, and I was looking for some poetry to read to them for National Poetry Month. I wanted to find something that would be accessible for them, but would be different than what they're used to hearing (such as Dr. Seuss or Shel Silverstein - both whom I love, but who are not what I was looking for). This is exactly what I needed! I think they'll really like it, and I absolutley love it.

Rita said...

Utterly fantastic!!! Really lovely.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful poem, April.
I thought I posted this
once, but it isn't here.
(Greg knows I've had trouble
posting on some of these
fantastic poems.)
Rebecca

Rebecca Dotlich

Julie said...

Love how absolutely basic and true the lines "I love how you do it./ I love what you've done" are - no elaborate decoration necessary. This is such a sweet poem of thanks-giving. Thanks, April.

Kristine said...

What a lovely, lovely poem. The "voice" is enticing and deeply personal. Delightful!

Kris George