I have selected two poems I thought would be appropriate for sharing at Thanksgiving time. The first poem, which I found at Poetry 180, is by Mac Hammond. My second selection is a poem translated from a traditional Iroquois prayer.
Thanksgiving
by Mac Hammond
The man who stands above the bird, his knife
Thanksgiving
by Mac Hammond
The man who stands above the bird, his knife
Sharp as a Turkish scimitar, first removes
A thigh and leg, half the support
On which the turkey used to stand. This
Leg and thigh he sets on an extra
Plate. All his weight now on
One leg, he lunges for the wing, the wing
On the same side of the bird from which
The Thanksgivings
by Harriet Maxwell Converse
Translated from a traditional Iroquois prayer
We who are here present thank the Great Spirit that we are here
to praise Him.
We thank Him that He has created men and women, and ordered
that these beings shall always be living to multiply the earth.
We thank Him for making the earth and giving these beings its products
to live on.
We thank Him for the water that comes out of the earth and runs
for our lands.
We thank Him for all the animals on the earth.
We thank Him for certain timbers that grow and have fluids coming
from them for us all.
We thank Him for the branches of the trees that grow shadows
for our shelter.
We thank Him for the beings that come from the west, the thunder
and lightning that water the earth.
Click here to read the rest of the poem.
by Harriet Maxwell Converse
Translated from a traditional Iroquois prayer
We who are here present thank the Great Spirit that we are here
to praise Him.
We thank Him that He has created men and women, and ordered
that these beings shall always be living to multiply the earth.
We thank Him for making the earth and giving these beings its products
to live on.
We thank Him for the water that comes out of the earth and runs
for our lands.
We thank Him for all the animals on the earth.
We thank Him for certain timbers that grow and have fluids coming
from them for us all.
We thank Him for the branches of the trees that grow shadows
for our shelter.
We thank Him for the beings that come from the west, the thunder
and lightning that water the earth.
Click here to read the rest of the poem.
At Wild Rose Reader, I have a review of a collection of Thanksgiving poetry for young children and three Thanksgiving poems.
Kelly has the Poetry Friday Roundup at Big A, little a this week.
Kelly has the Poetry Friday Roundup at Big A, little a this week.
3 comments:
Hm, wonder if Marc Hammond is a vegetarian! The disjointed (no pun intended) violence of carving... is a really weird juxtaposition against the idea that this is part of the Pledge of Allegiance, as American as Thanksgiving... interesting!
Tadmack,
I believe Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the symbol for the US and not the bald eagle. Ah! Does Hammond write of the supposed traditional ceremony of how a turkey is carved--and how, by the time that is completed, everyone digs into cold turkey and fixings? Some people are quite inept at slicing the holiday fowl. I guess I read some humor in this Thanksgiving poem.
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