The 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry
Life on Mars by Tracy K. Smith
After finishing Life on Mars, I couldn’t bear to stop reading. I flipped back to the beginning, and it was like starting a whole new book. The poems grew and changed between readings, making me feel as if I grew and changed with them. Absolutely amazing poetry.
Links to a few poems from the book:
Video link:
Tracy K. Smith reads from Life on Mars for the NewsHour Poetry Series
Here’s more of that interview and reading:
Algal layers of rock
Pillars of change
Rising from acid reduction
And nitrogenous seep
Busy bellows of corruption
Poisoning earth
With what rusts
From saline retreats
Tilted engines of life
For the record, the riddle
Marching on a muddled shore
Squat and stony muses
Of marvel and breath
In this weathered, easy air
A brief storm tested the dove nest today. Lots of lightning and thunder, but very little wind and only a modest amount of rain. No damage to report, despite the ominous looking clouds. (Photos taken on iPhone and adjusted with the Photoshop Express application.)
There’s nothing newsworthy about doves on the roof. And, as much as I hate to admit it, a gutter full of twigs is not unusual, either.
However, in this instance the two are related.
It wouldn’t be my first choice, were I seeking a place to nest, but she seems content.
Fortunately, this part of the roof doesn’t drain much. As long as we don’t get any tropical storms, the nest should be safe.
Another rainy day and another video from the summer archives. (I blame the rain, but it’s not the rain’s fault. Even if it does make me so sleepy I can hardly think.)
This video has a little history. In the process of identifying the caterpillar, I contacted our local wildlife columnist. She included one of my pictures in her column and published a follow-up column after another reader reported being stung.
Rae Spencer 