DPF / Laughlin

For dreams and more dreams, from Poems New and Selected, by James Laughlin.

from In the God’s Dreams / by James Laughlin (1914–1997)

What is the message of these
dreams? Into what kind of world
is Hermes leading me? It’s not
the world described daily in the
New York Times.

DPF / Yeshurun

For one of those days, from poetryfoundation.org.

from Memories Are A House / by Avot Yeshurun (1904-1999), translated by Leon Wieseltier

I do not deny that a man who reaches a certain age
can no longer hope
that those from whom he came will remain
still alive with him, as my mother once

wrote to me in one of the letters
of her twilight.

DPF / Plath

For coronals of sugar roses, from The Collected Poems, by Sylvia Plath.

from The Beekeeper’s Daughter / by Sylvia Plath (1932-1963)

Trumpet-throats open to the beaks of birds.
The Golden Rain Tree drips its powders down.
In these little boudoirs streaked with orange and red
The anthers nod their heads, potent as kings
To father dynasties. The air is rich.
Here is a queenship no mother can contest —

DPF / Cummings

For, finally, the rain on our drought, and the poem it leads me to each time, from poets.org. The rest of the poem may be found here:
https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/somewhere-i-have-never-travelledgladly-beyond

from somewhere i have never travelled,gladly beyond / by e.e. cummings (18941962)

(i do not know what it is about you that closes
and opens;only something in me understands
the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses)
nobody,not even the rain,has such small hands

DPF / Berryman

For more dreams, from 77 Dream Songs, by John Berryman. Here’s the first one.

from Dream Song: 1 / by John Berryman (1914-1972)

What he has now to say is a long
wonder the world can bear & be.

DPF / Oliver

For winter birds, from poetryfoundation.org. The rest of the poem may be found here: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poem/30876

from White-Eyes / by Mary Oliver, b. 1935

like stars, or the feathers
      of some unimaginable bird

that loves us,
        that is asleep now, and silent—
          that has turned itself
            into snow.

DPF / Mcclellan

For Tennessee and yellow-coated gems, from poetryfoundation.org.

from A January Dandelion / by George Marion McClellan (1860-1934)

All Nashville is a chill. And everywhere
Like desert sand, when the winds blow,
There is each moment sifted through the air,
A powdered blast of January snow.

DPF / Teasdale

For stars and wise men, from poetryfoundation.org.

from Christmas Carol / by Sara Teasdale

The angels came from heaven high
And they were clad with wings;
And lo, they brought a joyful song
The host of heaven sings.

DPF / Christensen

For forests and peace, from poetryfoundation.org.

from Light: Winter / by Inger Christensen, translated by Susanna Nied

all will be one will be one this year
wings and ice will be one in the world
all will be changed in the world:
the boat will hear its steps on the ice
the war will hear its war on the ice

 

DPF / Nemerov

For trees and all their jobs and multiple lives, from The Complete Poems of Howard Nemerov.

from Learning the Trees / by Howard Nemerov (1920-1991)

And think also how funny knowledge is:
You may succeed in learning many trees
And calling off their names as you go by,
But their comprehensive silence stays the same.