The Poetic Power of Robert Creeley

“The awful thing, as a kid reading, was that you came to the end of the story, and that was it. I mean, it would be heartbreaking that there was no more of it.” – Robert Creeley

Born in Massachusetts in May of 1926, Creeley authored more than 60 books of poems and one novel.   Associated with the Black Mountain Poets, he was widely recognized as one of the most important and influential American poets of the 20th century. 

His poetry was noted for its concision, emotional power, and for giving prominence to the ongoing experiences of an individual’s life.   The winner of numerous awards, he was named for the prestigious Bollingen Prize and served as New York Poet Laureate.  In 2003, shortly before his death, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.   For Saturday’s Poem, here are Creeley’s, 

Love Comes Quietly         and                       Oh No !

Love comes quietly,                                 If you wander far enough                           
finally, drops                                              you will come to it
about me, on me,                                      and when you get there
in the old ways.                                         they will give you a place to sit    

What did I know                                       for yourself only, in a nice chair.
thinking myself                                         And all your friends will be there
able to go                                                     with smiles on their faces,

alone all the way.                                     they will likewise all have places.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Writer’s Moment with a friend at http://writersmoment.blogspot.com