Another small piece of wonderful work my Joan McNerney. I have published an interview with Joan McNerney that can be viewed at this link: http://poetsinterviews.blogspot.com/p/new-york-jo…. She is a wonderful poet and a very nice person. Michael Lee Johnson, poet, editor.
Rick, I totally agree. I have published Joan McNerney many times. Not only is she an excellant poet but a very kind person. I have actually done an interview of Joan that can be viewed here: http://poetsinterviews.blogspot.com/p/new-york-jo…
What strikes me about this poem is the unique reference to a specific time of day. One often experienced and hard to define. Because what is familiar is often the poet's biggest challenge. Here the poet shows us the awe of being a captive of time. Yes, the wren is free to fly away. Just as we are free to fall back asleep, get up and make coffee, etc. Instead, the wren stares, a creature in which to confide, perhaps. There is that sense of intimacy with the world. A dawn-ness to the poem.
In This White Hour could almost be the title of a book. It makes me think of the phrase "the hour between wolf and dog" which is another way of saying "dusk" when shapes become hard to tell apart. Life is about ambiguity. Although in this poem, the time of day is not dusk but dawn. Still, a time of uncertainty. How we respond to this uncertainty is the question these lines raise, for me. The white hour when we are free to decide what it is we will create on this new blank page of a day.
Joan seems to offer hope which she derives from a bird. One known for its joyful song.
April 19th, 2013 at 2:27 pm
Another small piece of wonderful work my Joan McNerney. I have published an interview with Joan McNerney that can be viewed at this link: http://poetsinterviews.blogspot.com/p/new-york-jo…. She is a wonderful poet and a very nice person. Michael Lee Johnson, poet, editor.
April 19th, 2013 at 2:41 pm
Always such a great way with words as well as layered emotions. Best-
Rick
April 19th, 2013 at 2:56 pm
Rick, I totally agree. I have published Joan McNerney many times. Not only is she an excellant poet but a very kind person. I have actually done an interview of Joan that can be viewed here: http://poetsinterviews.blogspot.com/p/new-york-jo…
April 20th, 2013 at 7:09 am
I've spent the day pondering this work. Now like that morning wren I stare at the white emptiness of the comments posted and feel sad.
Steep mountain slope
Snow and tears combine
Avalanche
Enjoyed your writing Joan
Strider
April 20th, 2013 at 9:32 am
What strikes me about this poem is the unique reference to a specific time of day. One often experienced and hard to define. Because what is familiar is often the poet's biggest challenge. Here the poet shows us the awe of being a captive of time. Yes, the wren is free to fly away. Just as we are free to fall back asleep, get up and make coffee, etc. Instead, the wren stares, a creature in which to confide, perhaps. There is that sense of intimacy with the world. A dawn-ness to the poem.
In This White Hour could almost be the title of a book. It makes me think of the phrase "the hour between wolf and dog" which is another way of saying "dusk" when shapes become hard to tell apart. Life is about ambiguity. Although in this poem, the time of day is not dusk but dawn. Still, a time of uncertainty. How we respond to this uncertainty is the question these lines raise, for me. The white hour when we are free to decide what it is we will create on this new blank page of a day.
Joan seems to offer hope which she derives from a bird. One known for its joyful song.
Thanks Joan.
April 20th, 2013 at 2:57 pm
Mysterious & lovely. Thank you.
April 27th, 2013 at 3:37 pm
"White hour" = super cool. Love it.
January 12th, 2015 at 10:47 am
It is wonderful to see how others have enjoyed my poem. Thank you all.