Poetry Friday: O Christmas Tree
December 19th, 2008 by eishaI want to share a very good Christmas poem with you guys – but I can’t. At least, I can’t transcribe part of it here and then tell you to “click here to read the rest.” It’s a shape poem (actually, a shape sonnet, if you can believe it) and in WordPress it’s just a pain in the ass to try to get the spacing right.
So… Please click here and read “Sonnet in the Shape of a Potted Christmas Tree” by George Starbuck. I’m sorry I’m forgoing the usual excerpt, but I’ll tell you that it has delicious words like “fury-bedecked” and “glitter-torn” and “bonbonbonanza.” Please take my word for it. It’s good. You’ll like it. Pinky-promise. And… Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Beautiful Solstice.
Laura is on Poetry Friday Round-Up detail at Author Amok. You’ll want to see what she’s got.
Dang. That sonnet is brilliant and hilarious. Puts me right in the Christmas spirit. I love seeing wit put to a joyful use.
by Sara December 19th, 2008 at 6:12 amAw, man. That’s great. I want to read more of his stuff now.
by jules December 19th, 2008 at 7:50 amEisha, that’s great! Although when I think about the word “bonbonbonanzas,” I keep hearing it sung by the Beach Boys.
(And Jules (et al.) I think you’ll like George Starbuck. A poetic favorite of mine.)
by JES December 19th, 2008 at 9:02 amI wish I could write poetry in form like that. I mean, I can’t write a sonnet so much as a concrete sonnet. And a not-mushy Christmas poem besides. And the word “bonbonbonanzas,” which I have to start using in complete sentences immediately.
by adrienne December 19th, 2008 at 11:05 amAwesome! You find the most fabulous poems! I’ve read it several times and it gets better and better.
by cloudscome December 19th, 2008 at 12:59 pmfury-bedecked is awesome
as is bonbonbonanza
by Kelly Fineman December 19th, 2008 at 3:45 pmI LOVE George STarbuck. So glad to see you spreading the word about him – his work deserves to be better known.
And thanks for that beautiful photo of the tree.
by Julie Larios December 20th, 2008 at 2:58 amHi…It is a beautifull poem…really liked it…Thanks for presenting us with it…Merry Christmas / Feliz Natal!!
Best wishes,
Rafael Castellar
by Rafael Castellar das Neves December 20th, 2008 at 5:26 amI’m so glad you all liked it. It’s really hard to find a poem about a Christmas tree that isn’t either sappy and saccharine, or jaded and cynical. There’s this one, and e.e. cumming’s “little tree,” and that’s pretty much it.
cloudscome, that’s really high praise from you. Thanks!
by eisha December 20th, 2008 at 10:47 amThis one made me smile–I esp. love (in addition to the fun phrases you already mentioned)
“bells! bibelots! popsicle cigars! shatter the glassware! a son born
now
now
”
Wonderful!
by Laura Purdie Salas December 22nd, 2008 at 5:47 am