Poem of the Week

National poetry month is winding down, so I'll throw one more out at you. It's a short and sweet one by Charles Simic, who I discovered in college while thumbing through old issues of Poetry magazine in the library.

Watermelons
by Charles Simic


Green Buddhas
On the fruit stand.
We eat the smile
And spit out the teeth.

From Return to a Place Lit By a Glass of Milk, by Charles Simic. Published by George Braziller. Copyright © 1974. All rights reserved.



I have seen Simic read multiple times and have at least three dozen items signed by him. I aspire to write with his concision and brilliance. Ah, here's another classic:

from Watch Repair
by Charles Simic


A small wheel
Incandescent,
Shivering like
A pinned butterfly.

Hands
Pointing in all directions:
The crossroads
One enters
In a nightmare.

Higher than anyone
Number 12 presides
Like a beekeeper
Over the swarming honeycomb
Of the open watch.


"Watch Repair" (excerpt) from Return to a Place Lit By a Glass of Milk by Charles Simic. Copyright © 1974

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Look ahead to the introduction of BillyBlog's Top 20 Albums, which is close to completion. I'm working on the technicawherewithalal to add mp3s to BillyBlog so that readers can listen to (and buy) the albums discussed. Thanks to those of you who have commented positively on the new look of BillyBlog.