Friday, July 18, 2008

Poetry Friday: Tracie Vaughn Zimmer

Today's poem comes from 42 Miles by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer, a book published earlier this year, 2008. Roundup is at Writing and Ruminating.

The Poems I Like Best

The poems I like best
wear classic black
with vintage accessories
and smell like a new book,
the spine just cracked.
They're the chitchat overheard on a city bus
or nonsense
volleyed between toddlers
on swings at the park.

My favorite poems
squeeze your hand
on a crowded street and say:
Look.

The poems I like best
wear blue jeans
and smell
like the tack room of a barn:
worn leather and horse.
They're the varied verses
of a mockingbird's song
or syllables traded between brothers
scratching scruffy chins
over the dark mysteries of an engine.

My favorite poems
hold a wooden spoon of words
and whisper:
Taste.

Isn't that a wonderful poem? I just read it and fell in love!!! You should definitely make a point of reading 42 Miles.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

1 comment:

Unknown said...

The poems I like best wear classic black with vintage accessories and smell like a new book, the spine just cracked - this sounds just like me! What a lovely poem! I don't typically read poetry, but I may have to check this one out.