"Swinger of Birches"

[thrihyrne]

Today was one of the best mail days ever. Got a sweet handmade card from my sister, a wonderful aerogramme from fungus_files, and inspiring card from llembas that made me all teary. She enclosed a Robert Frost poem that was new to me (as much poetry beyond e.e. cummings is), and I must share it as it echoed resoundingly in my soul as I'm sure she knew it would. "May no fate willfully misunderstand me and half grant what I wish and snatch me away not to return" is pulsing in my veins. Wow. How is it that I've missed out on this eloquent representation of how I feel until now?? You all probably know it, but here it is, regardless.

(BTW llembas, I've now determined that I'm coming to see you in January. We'll get those tattoos together, Jen, are you straight so?)

So was I once myself a swinger of birches.
And so I dream of going back to be.
It's when I'm weary of considerations,
And life is too much like a pathless wood
Where your face burns and tickles with the cobwebs
Broken across it, and one eye is weeping
From a twig's having lashed across it open.
I'd like to get away from earth awhile
And then come back to it and begin over.
May no fate willfully misunderstand me
And half grant what I wish and snatch me away
Not to return. Earth's the right place for love:
I don't know where it's likely to go better.
I'd like to go by climbing a birch tree
And climb black branches up a snow-white trunk
Toward heaven, till the tree could bear no more,
But dipped its top and set me down again.
That would be good both going and coming back.
One could do worse than be a swinger of birches.

~Robert Frost~

Comments

[edrys.livejournal.com]

I love Frost's poetry. That's where I found the title for Promises to Keep, in his poem Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening. There are links to several of his poems at the bottom of the page, including Birches. This is another one I recently rediscovered...

[thrihyrne.livejournal.com]

That apple picking imagery is indeed gorgeous. I had known a couple of his poems, but the one Jen sent is incredibly striking to me. Poets can be so tremendous- what a challenging writing form!!

[llembas.livejournal.com]

Straight as a rush!!!!

*hugs*

And I don't know if I mentioned it in my note, but that's only the last few stanza's of the Birch's poem. The original is much longer.

"I am too."

[thrihyrne.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's excellent news (re: tattoo). Quite honestly, I loved every word of your card; you have an amazing way to write the same kind of things I'm thinking. You and licia and I must be connected through some cosmic link!

I had no idea that was just the end! I found the whole thing to be self-contained. Whoops. I'm sure that Kurt has a poetry book with that poem in it, so I'll go and look at the rest. But I was completely content with what you sent. So gorgeous.

**hugs back**