Poetry Friday — Seamus Heaney

Posted

OK, you  guys. 
Don’t freak out at my astonishing powers of prediction, but I forsaw every single place in the Iowa caucuses last night.
I kid you not.

We had a couple of friends over for dinner last night and when the kids retired to the bedroom to practice singing the Sound of Music soundtrack, we sat at the table and tried to figure out how the darn thing in Iowa even works.  Leave it to the midwesterners who act all straight-forward and bread-baskety to come up with the most complicated set of hoops a person would ever hope to jump through. 

When we finally realized that true and thorough understanding was futile, we moved on to punditry. This is especially fun when you live in Texas and nearly every race is a forgone conclusion. Which isn’t fun. Especially when you’re not all that keen on the foregone conclusion. 

So we wrote down the top three places for each party as we thought they might come in. 
It was sort of like betting at the Kentucky Derby, only nobody was giving us odds or mint julips.

And I chose, for the Dems:
1. Obama
2. Edwards
3. Clinton

And for the Republicans:
1. Huckabee
2. Romney
3. McCain

Yep, I even got it that Edwards was gonna sneak by Clinton for second. Is that uncanny or what? So, my post can’t be lengthy this morning because no doubt the national media will be calling for interviews soon. In the meantime, it’s Poetry Friday and I think today’s the day for Seamus Heaney’s poem Doubletake. In 381 days we’ll have somebody new in the White House…

Doubletake
By Seamus Heaney

Human beings suffer,
they torture one another,
they get hurt and get hard.
No poem or play or song
can fully right a wrong
inflicted and endured.

The innocent in gaols
beat on their bars together.
A hunger-striker’s father
stands in the graveyard dumb.
The police widow in veils
faints at the funeral home

History says, Don’t hope
on this side of the grave.

(Read the rest here…)

28 Responses to “Poetry Friday — Seamus Heaney”

  1. Anonymous

    This is RICH, so rich. 381 days. 1/20/09, as our bumper stickers proclaim!

    Mary Lee

  3. jamarattigan

    I am SO hoping for “a great sea-change!”

    Wonderful post! And you got that Clinton thing right? You dog, you! Love that “bread-baskety” description too. You’re hot, I tell you, hot!

  4. saralholmes

    Okay, Liz: write down your Cybils and Newbery and Printz predictions while you’re hot. Then we’ll see what’s really up with your psychic powers!!!

  5. hipwritermama

    Liz,
    “Leave it to the midwesterners who act all straight-forward and bread-baskety to come up with the most complicated set of hoops a person would ever hope to jump through.”

    Love that sentence.

    Hope those interviews come flashing in. Speaking of which…

  6. Anonymous

    I like that poem, and it makes me think of Sara Holmes’ post today about the “sunshine” of Mary Oliver and those who are criticizing it. (I hope that connection makes sense; it’s too late to sound articulate).

    Congrats on your psychic skills.

    Jules, 7-Imp

  7. kellyrfineman

    once in a lifetime
    the longed for tidal wave
    of justice can rise up,
    and hope and history rhyme.

    Oh, I hope so. I hope to see this in my lifetime. But more than once, please.