Saturday, July 05, 2008

Too Much

My husband teases me that I *always* say my poems aren't finished yet. It's like my disclaimer. "If you don't like it, wait. It'll get better. I promise..."

Well, guess what? This one's finished. *neener neener*.

Forgive me, but I know "We are too much in this world" is a quote, and I cannot for the life of me remember from whom. So will hope someone more educated than myself will tell me from whom I have snatched this bit of poetry. I think it might be Wendell Berry, but I'm not at all sure.

Too Much
5 July 2008, 11:40 AM

“We are too much in the world,
too desirous of things,” I say
on my way to the mechanic
to learn how much I will pay
to keep my jeep running-- I just finished
a work of art on the hood,
so I can’t bear to see it go.

I write with a pen
I’d replace for $30 if necessary--
I know from experience.
My daughter gave me
another that I keep with me
always. Sentimentality
is my justification
for so many dearly held
things that don’t draw me
any closer to my dear givers.

We are too much in this world,
and I change my clothes
one more time because
I can’t find myself outside of things
I’ve chosen to define me.

3 comments:

Ruth said...

Do you mean Wordsworth's sonnet "The world is too much with us"?

John Nicholas said...

..sounds very similar to:

"THE world is too much with us;
late and soon,
Getting and spending,
we lay waste our powers:
Little we see in Nature that is ours;
We have given our hearts away,
a sordid boon!..." etc. etc.

Wordsworth 1807

BTW, many years, my friends!

Maria said...

Thanks, John. And yes to you both- I think that's the poem I was alluding to. So I don't have to worry about plagiarizing, since it's not actually a direct quote. Or do I? Is it close enough?

George MacDonald

"Home is ever so far away in the palm of your hand, and how to get there it is of no use to tell you. But you will get there; you must get there; you have to get there. Everybody who is not at home, has to go home."

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