BOOKS: “Poems, 1965-1975” by Seamus Heaney

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Seamus Heaney: Poems 1965 1975Seamus Heaney: Poems 1965 1975 by Seamus Heaney
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Publisher Site – McMillan FSG

This book gathers the poetry of the four Seamus Heaney collections that come out during the titularly referenced decade. This is his early work, his first four published collections, and includes: Death of a Naturalist, Door into the Dark, Wintering Out, and North.

I enjoy reading Heaney’s work. His poems tend to have a country influence and have a physicality that give them heft. Though in the latter half of the collection, there is increasing political influence — i.e. regarding the issue of Northern Ireland. Heaney’s poems often remind me of those of Robert Frost, though Heaney wrote much more free verse. Heaney had a love of words that some will adore while others find it distracting for the frequent visits to the dictionary with arcane words.

I’d recommend this collection for all poetry readers — especially if you love Frost (particularly for content, not form,) you’ll really enjoy the poems of Seamus Heaney.

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PROMPT: In the Woods

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PROMPT: Stress

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How do you manage stress?

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Through the realization that one packs one’s own load.

Everything is passing weather, how one dials up (or down) the significance of the present situation is up to one (even if the situation, itself, is completely out of one’s hands.) As the Stoics said, either you can or can’t do something about a given event — either way, it’s not worth one’s worry. If you can’t do anything about it, worry is futile. If you can, do the virtuous thing and you can feel content even if it doesn’t seem to work out for you.

PROMPT: Your Younger Self

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If you could go back in time and give your younger self advice, what would it be?

Don’t be an ass!

Lonely Mushroom [Haiku]

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lonely mushroom
 climbs out from under a rock;
  after autumn rain.

DAILY PHOTO: Backyard Coyote

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Photograph of a Coyote taken in my backyard during the first coldsnap of the season.
Photograph of a Coyote in the metro Atlanta area.

DAILY PHOTO: Red Brick City, Medellin

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Photo of red brick barrios of Medellin with purple flowers.
Photograph of Medellin stretching across the valley.
Photograph of a barrio on a hill with city beyond in Medellin, Colombia.

PROMPT: Past Self

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What’s something you’ve done that your past self would be proud of?

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Still be alive? I don’t know. The little shit was underawed by virtue of great expectations.

DAILY PHOTO: Murals of Barrio Getsemaní, Cartagena

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Photograph of a woman's face painted on walls in Barrio Getsemaní of Cartagena, Colombia.
Photograph of a woman's face painted on walls in Barrio Getsemaní of Cartagena, Colombia.
Photograph of a wall mural of a man in a rocking chair, taken in Barrio Getsemaní of Cartagena, Colombia.
Photograph of Barrio Getsemaní of Cartagena, Colombia.

PROMPT: Online Course

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What’s the best online course you’ve ever taken?

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I’m doing a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course presently that is well done. However, I wouldn’t say that I’ve had sufficient experience to make any comparative statements. Most of my education was in the days when you went to the same room the person teaching you was and at the same time they were there. But I knew when self-checkouts came along that we were weaning ourselves away from the last vestiges of non-optional human contact.