For the passing year, from The Best American Poetry, 2014.
from In My Last Past Life / by Hailey Leithauser
a forest and love and a river, and grief
was a ghost hidden green in the leaves,
an echo off cliffs that bound back the sea
Month: December 2014
DPF / Meireles
For more stars, from The FSG Book of Twentieth-Century Latin American Poetry, edited by Ilan Stavans.
from The Dead Horse / by Cecilia Meireles (1901-1964, Brazil), translated by James Merrill
Crystal grains were rolling down
his lustrous flank, and the breeze
twisted his mane in a littlest,
lightest arabesque
DPF / Wilner
For flags and seeds, from The Best American Poetry, 2014, Guest Editor, Terrance Hayes, and Senior Editor, David Lehman.
from Sowing / by Eleanor Wilner
I knew a man by such a name, though didn’t know
Until you told me so, that a turnip seed is tiny
DPF / Anonymous (Greek modern ballad)
For beauty like a cypress, from Selected Translations, by WS Merwin.
from Maido / by Anonymous, Greek modern ballad collection, translated by WS Merwin
Maido is there, Maido
in a palace of mirrors
holding a mirror
DPF / Anonymous (Quechua, Peru)
Since one of the Pizarros of old did not do well by Peru, this one’s for Peru, from Selected Translations, by W.S. Merwin.
from Ichi the Dwarf / by Anonymous, Quechua, Peru, translated by W.S. Merwin
In Qjelle Huanca the earth opened and a dwarf popped out.
DPF / Chi
For more stars, from Selected Translations, W.S. Merwin (2013).
from Where the mist has torn / By Niu Hsi Chi (8th Century) translated by W.S. Merwin
The fragment of moon is going out
But your face in the early light
Glitters
DPF / Arp
For stars, from The Poetry of Surrealism: An Anthology, edited by Michael Benedikt.
from Infinite Millimeter Manifesto / by Jean (Hans) Arp, translated by Michael Benedikt
First we have to let forms, colors, sounds sprout
and then explain them.
DPF / Moore
This one’s for Dad, gone 23 years; but, I have his handwriting here on the front of this book, which makes him seem like he’s right here: “To Michele, from LT COL. Pizarro.” Happy holiday season to you, whatever your choice of holiday(s) may be.
from The Night Before Christmas / by Clement C. Moore (1779-1863)
‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care
In hopes that Saint Nicholas soon would be there.
DPF / Petrosino
For devices and tokens, from The Best American Poetry, 2014.
from Story Problem / by Kiki Petrosino
Collect: the Feelings Token.
Collect: the Flag Token.
DPF / Öijer
For stars, from The Star By My Head, Poets from Sweden, edited and translated by Malena Mörling and Jonas Ellerström.
from Eleven Hundred Eighty One / by Bruno K. Öijer b. 1951
until the stars fall down
hitting your shoes with sparkles
Daily Poetry Fragments {Semi-Daily} 