Four Letters Long: The Biggest Words

Non rhyming poem inspired by Seamus Heaney quote

"Love was biggest word, the hardest to write" - Seamus Heaney

The biggest words, four letters long: not in what they are:
But rather what they represent that we must face:
The emotion to adore another, we though writers cannot write:
And though we know we are writers, we cannot take the title: poet.
Another language for Heaney sufficed: our native tongue
Registering his children in their new Wicklow school
The schoolmaster knew best: the father between jobs
Who would not call himself poet in English, found the tongue
Of our forefathers used to call him such, and was content
To state without speaking loud: to say with minds voice:
That will do... the pen marked on the page
"File" - a poet by any other name being as good.

In time, and it took time, the poems flowed
Love in its time, lines caressed, was addressed,
But it took its time in coming: what a harvest
Seeds sown, germinated, fruit picked, seeds sown again...
Four more letters, so hard to write initially
So hard for men to say what they do and are
Though the subject of each - who they love and that they writing are a poet
Is the essence of as humans, what they are.

Smiles Can Hide a Million Tears

World Poets Quarterly " Vol 71 " Haiku

Windmills Wave at the World in Wonder

From Corn Hill His Spirit Watches

- See more at: http://www.writingsinrhyme.com/index.php/four-letters-long-the-biggest-words/#sthash.VpeRpFoy.dpuf

Smiles Can Hide a Million Tears

The Meadows Through Which My Dancing Heart

From Cairn Hill His Spirit Watches

Reviews

[h d e rushin]

I think the word hurts to say out-loud, "Poet". There is something so final about it as if you've
reached the very end of understanding and accepting. Frost hated the title. Dickinson was
totally oblivious of it. Ginsberg allowed it since it distracted others from his homosexuality.
Baraka cringed when it was said before mentioning his Pan Africanism. Yet the word
means just as you have suggested, that there was time taken, "seeds sown", "lines caressed"
to some meaningful (or un-meaningful) outcome.

How come it has taken so long for me to find you here? Well done....dana

[zainul]

I love the write for its beauty and truth.
Though you can't take the title, "Poet" yourself,we are here to recognize you as the "Poet".
Thanks for sharing the nice work.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

i have always wanted to be a poet, i still do....

but all we can do is write and write...and often i feel that the words write themselves...my control is slight...

as Melanie sang..." i am not a poet, living is the poem"

we search the perfect tongue to speak the perfect poem...

this is really a poet's poem.

[Einstein Noodle]

this is one of those that i had to read several times including out loud .. in order to get a better sense of the flow and language of it ... there is a refreshing humility and perseverance in hope in this poem ... even tho i am not studied in poets and writers (had to look up your very well known inspiration, Seamus Heaney .. :} i can tell your own heritage is through and through! as people that strive to put feelings, color and nebulous thought into words and share it all with others ...we do fail miserably ... but then our goals are lofty and falling short can still be quite spectacular ;)
also loved the irony in "Smiles ..." and the wonderful lessons in "The Meadows ... " could not find the "..Cairne Hill ..." as it has been moved ... enjoyed all my reading here at your page this morning .. be well!
E.

[jen]

Beautifully expressed. The old Nat King Cole song sprang into my head... "Love is all that I can give to you"... isn't it the most wonderful offering we have as humans? No wonder the word is so over used and the act so under acknowledged... Your poem, your words "lines caressed" expressed it so nicely.. when we do offer it, we want it to be perfectly pronounced and with satisfied recognition.

[Linda alexander]

In time, and it took time, the poems flowed
Love in its time, lines caressed, was addressed,
But it took its time in coming: what a harvest
A great write, mouthful of truths and true observations, enjoyed