A Good Hour

Post by **Dale** » Mon May 08, 2006 6:45 pm

This poem of mine was published a while ago in the National Catholic Reporter and it actually has popped up a couple of other places on the web. I have no idea why I feel moved to share it with y'all tonight. But, here it is:

A Good Hour

After playing a good hour,
easing the audience
into the place we share with God,
the leader, years of hard road on his face,
put his horn down, stepped to the mike,
and spoke for the first time.

Instead of How y’all doin’ tonight? or
It’s good to be back in Memphis,
he let enough silence pass
to make everyone squirm a bit
before saying, in the voice
of a grandfather soothing
the grandbabies,

Everything is gonna be all right.
We’re gonna make it, God willing.
Just barely, I think.
But we’re gonna make it.

copyright 2001, 2006 by Dale Wisely

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Mon May 08, 2006 6:55 pm

That's pretty.

jsluder · Post by **jsluder** » Mon May 08, 2006 6:55 pm

A good poem. Thanks for sharing.

Chiffed · Post by **Chiffed** » Mon May 08, 2006 7:50 pm

Thanks, Dale.

Walden · Post by **Walden** » Mon May 08, 2006 7:53 pm

I like that.

alurker · Post by **alurker** » Mon May 08, 2006 7:54 pm

A Good Poem.

fel bautista · Post by **fel bautista** » Mon May 08, 2006 9:49 pm

it will be all all right

like that

Innocent Bystander · Post by **Innocent Bystander** » Tue May 09, 2006 1:55 am

Nice bit of Mood, that, Dale.
It puts me in mind of that quote about the film "Aliens":
"Forty Miles of Bad Road..."

buddhu · Post by **buddhu** » Tue May 09, 2006 2:12 am

JS · Post by JS » Tue May 09, 2006 10:34 am

Thanks, Dale. Very effective use of that other voice in the poem, and nice attention to how he moves the audience to where he wants them to be to understand what he has to say.

dubhlinn · Post by **dubhlinn** » Tue May 09, 2006 1:21 pm

I'm very impressed.

A very well crafted piece.

Slan,
D.