SEAGULL THEME

Poetry Daily and Verse Daily both featured translated poems with a theme yesterday:


Just as This Island Belongs to the Gulls . . .

Just as this island belongs to the gulls,
and the gulls to their cry
and their cry to the wind
and the wind to no one,

so is this island the gulls,
and the gulls are their cry
and their cry is the wind
and the wind no one's.

Poetry Daily
Herman de Coninck
Translated by Laure-Anne Bosselaar and Kurt Brown


To Who Comes Near

Simply, a sea gull's step
will cross the rooms of your sea.
A sphere shines, moon-like; the drawers
are empty: inside the pendulum clock
you've shut corals
and wet postcards. There is one key
too many in the ring. Like water
that overflows, a key white and without a place
will let one who comes near know
the playing will last long along the shore.

Verse Daily
Isacco Turina
translated by Emmanuel Di Pasqaule

I think I'm partial to the first poem, how about you?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Milestones and life changes motivate me. Starting on my birthday, I sent out poetry submissions - a mad flurry. Currently, I have about 40 poems out there awaiting rejections. These are not simultaeous submissions - 40 different poems. I am also completing my first manuscript.

I know I'm supposed to think positively, but expecting rejection is protection. In less than 4 years, I have published 9 poems. Momentum does not appear to be behind this process. It creeps along.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am a seagull. I search the shore. I am among hundreds, thousands. All crying for the same bread.