Poem: After Thoreau
From our poet of the month: Andrea Potos
Getty/ Kladyk
“I want to just drowse, / eyelids witness / to curtains of gold swaying ”
After Thoreau
Let me saunter
here in meadows of
big bluestem,
yellowing sheaves and
in the distance the russet
exuberance of leaves.
I want to just drowse,
eyelids witness
to curtains of gold swaying
from another world
just here
on the other side
of afternoon hours
wrapping me in crimson, ochre
and my own
ripeness to come.
From Mothershell by Andrea Potos. ©Andrea Potos and reprinted by permission of Kelsay Books.
Listen to Andrea Potos read 'After Thoreau.'
Andrea Potos shared her insight with S&H:
Henry David Thoreau, one of my spiritual heroes, knew the pricelessness of walking--not for exercise and not to any destination in particular. Just to walk, through woods and meadows and over hills and fields--tonics for the soul. When I read that he called this “sauntering”, I relished the word.
I knew I could easily saunter, especially in the prairies near my home, as he might have done. And then, to lie down and gently allow myself to drift off for a nap and find out where the dreams and possibilities of a gorgeous autumnal afternoon might take me. . . And most importantly, to remember to try and stay receptive to all the changes that life brings.
About the Author
Andrea Potos is the author of nine poetry collections, including Mothershell (Kelsay Books), A Stone to Carry Home (Salmon Poetry), and Arrows of Light (Iris Press). Her poems have been...
