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Tuesday, June 23, 2015

The Tuesday Platform


The House Was Quiet and the World Was Calm
by Wallace Stevens

The house was quiet and the world was calm.
The reader became the book; and summer night
Was like the conscious being of the book.
The house was quiet and the world was calm.
The words were spoken as if there was no book,
Except that the reader leaned above the page,
Wanted to lean, wanted much most to be
The scholar to whom his book is true, to whom
The summer night is like a perfection of thought.
The house was quiet because it had to be.
The quiet was part of the meaning, part of the mind:
The access of perfection to the page.
And the world was calm. The truth in a calm world,
In which there is no other meaning, itself
Is calm, itself is summer and night, itself
Is the reader leaning late and reading there.

Please share a poem with us today--new or old--and spend some time reading the work of others. We welcome you to reflect, to share, to enjoy the fellowship of a ragged and earnest world-wide group of writers connected in this space.


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14 comments:

  1. brudbergJune 23, 2015 at 2:00 AM

    Ah.. sharing poetry and reading others is my favorite thing...

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  2. MarianJune 23, 2015 at 5:33 AM

    Good morning, friends. Bring on your poems!

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  3. Kerry O'ConnorJune 23, 2015 at 7:38 AM

    What a beautiful poem to inspire the muse today. Thank you for hosting, Marian.

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  4. UnknownJune 23, 2015 at 8:24 AM

    Wallace Stevens... great way to start any day!

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  5. Sanaa RizviJune 23, 2015 at 9:00 AM

    Hello everyone,

    Hope you're having a great week :D sharing my poem "Time" hope you guys like it :D

    Thank you Marian for this lovely opportunity :D

    Lots of love,
    Sanaa

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  6. Sherry Blue SkyJune 23, 2015 at 11:33 AM

    What a beautiful photo and poem that is!!!!!!!! He drew me into the peacefulness of being deep in a book on a summer night. I love how he did that, so brilliantly.

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  7. MarianJune 23, 2015 at 12:20 PM

    Speaking for myself, I wanted even just a glimmer of "the world was calm." Love to all of you, I'll be around to visit. xoxo

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  8. LauraJune 23, 2015 at 1:57 PM

    And so it is. What a beautiful poem and photo to share. Thank you.

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  9. Sweeper of DreamsJune 23, 2015 at 7:55 PM

    boy i needed this! what a great community, looking forward to the links. beautifully said, and merry meet again.

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  10. Marcoantonio Arellano (Nene)June 23, 2015 at 10:11 PM

    i couldn't be at charleston to hold hands and cross the bridge with the twenty six thousand citizens there but i can hold hands by words

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  11. KerridwenJune 24, 2015 at 11:44 AM

    My poem didn't really go in the direction planned.. It'll definitely need reworking later..

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  12. MarianJune 24, 2015 at 3:22 PM

    Kerridwen, I don't know why I can't figure out how to comment on your blog. What? Sheesh. But, here is what I have to say:

    I love this line in your poem so much: "Spain has most of my spine, but my heart is scattered, unwhole. Holey. Phoney." (Not phony!) "... Aloe..." Very clever!

    While I'm at it, I think Rallentanda never gets my comments either. I liked your poem too!

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  13. Rosemary Nissen-WadeJune 24, 2015 at 11:06 PM

    I enjoyed the Wallace Stevens. That one was new to me. I am late to the party, thought I wouldn't be attending ... but it's hard to resist you toads!

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  14. SusmitJune 26, 2015 at 4:57 AM

    A late entrant, as always. But nevertheless, have tried to put in my bit.

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