Today’s New Verse News: A Haiku and “A Poem for Ukraine”
Haiku by Richard Matta; Poem by David James
Haiku by Richard Matta
Original photo: People keep warm by fires outside the main rail terminal in Lviv, Ukraine. Dan Kitwood | Getty Images News | Getty Images via CNBC, November 22, 2022
*
*
Richard Matta grew up in New York and now lives in San Diego. Some of his work is found in Ancient Paths, Dewdrop, San Pedro River Review, Gyroscope, and many international haiku journals.
*
*
A Poem for Ukraine by David James
“Writing My Heart Out,” a painting by Gladiola Sotomayor.
*
*
I want to write a poem that will lick your heart clean, that will make you forget every nightmare, every cut and scrape, every syllable of bad news you’ve ever heard, a poem that will close your eyes and let you dream of another life, perfect in its arc, where all things, dead or alive, bow to your smile, all clouds move to your breath, birds and desires and wishes land on your forearm when you call them. I want to write a poem to send all sadness into exile, to fit all pain and despair onto one gaudy blue dish that you can toss outside and ignore, a poem so quiet you never hear it come into your life, sit on your couch, sleep in your bed, never hear its small footsteps on the floor. This poem, which must be written under a moonlit sky with eleven stars and one dog barking in town, will end the world as we know it. No more death or hunger or war. No more aging or sickness or weeping. No more walking with your feet on the ground.
*
*
David James’ most recent book is Alive in Your Skin While You Still Own It.