Happy Birthday Clive

March holds the birthday for poet Clive Matson.  Happy 75th Birthday.  So today I'm featuring an excerpt from one of his poems.

YOU'RE A BABY (34)

You’re a baby! I’m a baby too!

Your giantness clouds the sky,

you breathe in Valley Fires

 

and exhale smoke and roses.

Has the sun ever looked so orange?

The moon so grapefruit?

 

Love the one-eyed mushroom

 

on its thick stalk. Love the warm

 

conch with its slick pearl.

Look up! Look up!

    Thank you Clive for giving me permission to include part of your poem here.  

I know Clive from reading his book LET THE CRAZY CHILD WRITE and from attending one of his workshops.  He publishes the poetry journal Scribbler.  You can read more about his life and poetry here. You can see and listen to Clive Matson reading his poem here.

So here is my occasional poem for Clive.

When you were a baby

you liked to sing

and to listen

to keys        on the ring

         ting-a-ling.

When you were a baby

we loved all you do

we'd exclaim and delight

over every

chortle and coo.

And now you've grown,

you're an amazing man.

We try to learn

from you     whenever

          we can.

  For you poetry challenge for today, can you write a poem about what it is like to be a baby?  What do you feel about babies?  Do you have a baby brother or sister?  Can you write a poem for or about them?

 

  Today is also the Poetry Friday Round UP.  Our hostess with the mostess is Irene Latham.  You can find more great poetry on her blog.here

   March is also the birthday month for children's poets David L. Harrison and Heidi Mordhorst.  Happy birthday to all those born in March.


A poem starts as an itch. Scratch it. Write it.