Two Poems and a Poem: Ritual One, Day 1

Ritual 1: Two Poems and a Poem. 

These two poetry books were gifted to me this holiday season from two of my writing buddies. I have decided to savor them by reading a poem from each book, each day until I finish the books. Taking inspiration from Blanco and Kingsolver, I am going to write my own poem.

 

Two Poems:

“How to Drink Water When There is Wine” by Barbara Kingsolver

“Declaration of Inter-Dependence” by Richard Blanco

A Poem:

With Whom I Walk 

by ljkemp

Tell me with who you walk

and I’ll tell you who you are.

I walk with the poets, 

the artists, the flower children.

I walk with the thinkers, the writers 

the tree huggers and the book lovers.

We’re each other’s shelter and hope,

we breathe life into what is dying

or silenced or forgotten.

We shine light and spread words 

like prayer and communion

not as ammunition.

We walk arm and arm, 

cheek to cheek, 

even at a distance we are close.

Once I wrote, but thought

do not call me a writer.

Silly, shameful me.

Now I have lived long and I know better.

I know who I am now, as do you.

You can see with whom I walk.

Italicized lines:  

First two from Blanco’s poem.  Last one from Kingsolver’s poem.