When the Master is Untied
 by Robert Bly

"As soon as the master is untied, the bird soars."

That is what a great teacher once said.

"In the sad heat of noon the pheasant chicks

Spread their new wings in the moon dust."

Oh my darling, we have experienced this.

Does it matter whether we are sad or happy?

Our laughter goes back to the roots of trees

An old sadness returns in the sorrowing dust.

 

My Idol

Inspired by "When the Master is Untied by Robert Bly"

 What he does, I want

To do…what he is I want

To be. I want to play football just

Like he did. I want to be a lawyer just like he is now.

 There is a lot to live

Up to…but I will be very

Pleased if… I turn out to be half the man

That he is

 Most people’s idols

Are athletes

Or famous people

But none of them are better than mine.

 Snow banks North of the House
By Robert Bly
Those great sweeps of snow that stop suddenly six
feet from the house ...
Thoughts that go so far.
The boy gets out of high school and reads no more
books;
the son stops calling home.
The mother puts down her rolling pin and makes no
more bread.
And the wife looks at her husband one night at a
party, and loves him no more.
The energy leaves the wine, and the minister falls
leaving the church.
It will not come closer
the one inside moves back, and the hands touch
nothing, and are safe.
The father grieves for his son, and will not leave the
room where the coffin stands.
He turns away from his wife, and she sleeps alone.
And the sea lifts and falls all night, the moon goes on
through the unattached heavens alone.
The toe of the shoe pivots
in the dust ...
And the man in the black coat turns, and goes back
down the hill.
No one knows why he came, or why he turned away,
and did not climb the hill.

© Bly, Robert. 1981. from The Man in the Black Coat Turns.

Poem inspired by “Snow Banks North of the House” by Robert Bly

Snow days

Those great sweeps of snow that stop suddenly six

Feet from the house

All the schools are cancelled

Everyone has stocked up

In anticipation

Kids go out to play

Not worrying about making up days

Gliding down steep hills on sleds

Snowballs packed tight fly through the air

Kids come in

To drink hot chocolate

Looking forward

To another snow day