Sometimes, a poem stops you, makes you say “Yes!” out loud to nobody but yourself because something is so clear you should have known it all along, but hiding in front of you all along. I had one of those moments when I opened Billy Collins’ Horoscopes for the Dead to a random page and read “Vocation” last night.
Even if (especially if) you don’t like poetry, I strongly encourage you to dig into Mr. Collins’ work. It’s accessible, witty, profound, and beautiful in its simplicity.
As I watched the night sky
from the wooden dock
I had painted gray earlier that day
I saw an airplane fly,
its red port-light blinking all the while,
right through the Big Dipper
nearly clipping one of the stars
of that constellation,
which was tilted upside-down at the time
and seemed to be pouring whatever it held
into space one big dipperful at a time.
And that was when I discovered
poised right above me
a hitherto unknown constellation
composed of six stars,
two for the snout and the four behind
for the pig’s trotters
though it would have taken some time
to make anyone see that.
But since there was no one there
lying next to me,
my constellation of the Pig
remained a secret
and a bright reminder,
after many jumbled days and nights,
of my true vocation—
keeping an eye on things
whether they existed or not,
recumbent under the random stars.
~ Billy Collins, Vocation (from Horoscopes for the Dead, 2011)
Emily Harmon said:
Yes!Thanks for sharing this. I watched Garrison Keillor interview Billy Collins a little while ago and it was delightful. I didn't know much about the former Poet Laureate before that, so it was an enriching experience.
Chris Yokel said:
Billy is my favorite poet! (well, a close tie with T.S. Eliot). I seriously need to get this new volume. Seriously, I don't know why I don't have it yet
Jen Rose said:
Emily! I thought I replied to this. Super lame.I'd love to see that interview. I appreciate him so much because he makes an effort to make poetry meaningful for more than just the elite English nerds… So great. His words go deep in their simplicity, (kinda like a few of my favorite songwriters. :)
Jen Rose said:
Yay for Billy and TS Eliot! Yeah, we're gonna be friends. :) this book was such a good find… I love how he says things in a way that is simple, yet so beautiful and profound. This collection is the first I've bought by him, and such a great find.True story: I was supposed to go see Billy Collins as a "field trip"For a creative writing class I took a few years ago. I got the flu. Tragedy! I still haven't gotten over it.
Jen Rose said:
I get so excited about billy I repeat myself. Ahh! Did I mention this was a good find?