Poetry Day, Marge Piercy

I've just finished reading Marge Piecy's 2006 [I assume her latest] book of poetry, "The Crooked Ineritance" which contains both pesonal and political poems -- although for her the political is always personal because she is a very committed writer. This is really vintage Piercy -- who I've been reading for at least 35 years. In fact about 35 years ago I was in a class of hers at the Indiana University Writers' Conference I remember her masses of black hair, her commitment to teaching something useful and, the one time we happened to lunch together, discovering that she is/was quite shy. Well, I was shy too so we said nothing of any consequence during lunch. One of the joys of finally maturing and "growing up" is that I am not shy any more - but sometimes diffifent when it seems appropriate. Having learned not to be shy has been a joyous accomplishment. That is one of the reasons I suppose I like the ending of her poem, "Many, many loves." And I hope it implies that she shares my joy at having overcome that childish trait.

Some can love a car -- I never could --
a book, a doll, a necklace or a ring.
Some can love a family and some can't.
Some -- the luckiest -- can love
themselves without narcissism
just saying, well, I am this, I could
do better now and probably I will.
,
The last line and a half should be italicized but blogger doesn't let me, perhaps because I'm a Mac user, italicize or bold in these posts which is why I do neither for the names of books, poems and other things that should be visually set apart.

And just the last few lines of one of her more political poems:

Evil our president says is everywhere
and obvious and must be invaded
mostly by working class kids
whose morality is dubious anyway
unless they die as heroes.

Marge Piercy has written a number of very readable, well plotted novels and several volumes of poety. I recommend her books, also essays, to anyone who likes the above mindset.