101 Poems, Number 10

Favorite Poems Throughout My Life

10: “A Gift,” 2009, by Kathryn Starbuck (1939–)

The speaker sees a creature that

Has come for something—or someone.

The speaker and the creature chat—

There is no joking, lightness, fun.

It’s very clear—and very soon—

The speaker speaks with Death.

And so this morning (afternoon?)

The speaker bids farewell to breath.

Link to poem. 

101 Poems, Number 11

Favorite Poems Throughout My Life

11: “Stone on Watch at Dawn,” in New York Times Magazine, 29 July 2016, by Brynn Saito (1981–)

Another poem that I found

While paging through the Magazine—

I read it—felt that I was bound

To memorize the lines I’d seen.

And so I did—and quickly so.

And now I mumble them at dawn

(Words unrehearsed so soon will go!)—

Oh, aren’t I just a paragon?!?

A writer needs to recognize,

So says the poet in these lines,

The things she’s witnessed with her eyes,

For passing time all undermines.

Link to poem.

101 Poems, Number 12

Favorite Poems Throughout My Life

12: “Do Not Fear,” song from The Faithful Shepherdess, 1608, a play by John Fletcher (1569–1625)

I think I’ll shun the river, sweet—

I don’t like nibbling on my feet—

Disturbs me when I try to Tweet.

Young Fletcher wrote some with the Bard—

I’m guessing that was not too hard!

(The Bard spun lines out by the yard.)

The message here, though, is of love—

I know what I am speaking of!

Ignore the fish bites—thoughts above!

Link to poem.

101 Poems, Number 13

Favorite Poems Throughout My Life

13: “Requiem,” 1890, by Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–94)

“Under the wide and starry sky”—

How can this start with such a line

(A line evocative and fine)

And be about a man who’ll die?

The poet loved his poem, too—

Directed it be on the stone*

He lies below—so long alone—

But left these words for me and you.

*He is buried on Mount Vaea in Samoa, near where he died.

Link to poem. 

101 Poems, Number 14

Favorite Poems Throughout My Life

14: “To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time,” 1648, by Robert Herrick (1591–1674)

A message not too subtle in

These lines from, oh, so long ago.

An invitation to a sin?

Or playful fluff? (I think you know!)

You’d better hurry up, the theme—

For Time accelerates—so fast

It seems almost, well, like a dream.

So … let’s hook up! Our youth won’t last!

Link to poem. 

101 Poems, Number 15

Favorite Poems Throughout My Life

15: “Torso of Air,” in Night Sky with Exit Wounds, 2016, by Ocean Vuong (1988–)

I read this in the New York Times

About two years ago—

And told myself, “Now here’s some lines

That I would like to know.”

And so I learned them—fairly fast—

They still are in my head.

The images are stunning—and

As stark as I have read.

A poet who is still so young—

Whose works, I think, will last.

He populates his lines with stars—

His words, a gleaming cast.

Link to poem. 

101 Poems, Number 16

Favorite Poems Throughout My Life

16: “After I Heard You Were Gone,” in Horoscopes for the Dead, 2011, by Billy Collins* (1941–)

So how can Billy Collins know

So much about the shock of loss?

And how does he find words to show—

To make it smoothly come across?

The strangeness when a life is gone—

The loneliness that we all feel

When we can no more look upon
A friend, a love—the world’s surreal.

*Poet Laureate of the United States, 2001–03.

Link to poem.