Annie Finch, Poet, Guest Blogger- “A Thanksgiving Spell” for Sherri Rosen Publicity Intl,NYC
Annie Finch is author of six books of poetry, most recently Spells: New and Selected Poems (Wesleyan University Press). Her many books about poetry include The Body of Poetry and A Poet’s Craft: A Comprehensive Guide to Making and Sharing Your Poetry (U of Michigan Press). Founder of American Witch Enterprises, she is writing a new book of poems and a memoir called American Witch.
A Thanksgiving Spell
In many cultures around the world, poets are magic-makers as well as word-weavers. The Celtic bards and African griots held sacred places in their cultures, and the shapes of their words were symbols of the strength of their spirits. It is in that spirit, and to strengthen the power of my tribe of magical, powerful, amazing readers, that I craft my poems today.
I call my new book Spells because the poems are a witch’s words, crafted to bring about magical change in the spirits of my readers. My poems are written in meter and rhyme, in the time-honored tradition of spells. They are meant to be read aloud, to resonate with the rhythms of the earth and with the divine power in each of us. They are meant to feel good in your mouth.
When I began my apprenticeship in poetic rhythm, it was not a common thing to learn. For most of the twentieth century, many poets were not comfortable talking about, or teaching younger poets about, the value of poetry in meter and rhythm.
But now things are different. Rhythm is hot. In the age of podcasts, iphones, and youtube, rap artists, poetry slammers, and other young poets are bringing back formal poetry.
I think this is great news for poetry. I hope you will enjoy the following poetic spell, for gratitude and oneness with the earth. Maybe you will even want to read it at the Thanksgiving table! And if you would like to purchase a signed copy of SPELLS as a gift for yourself or someone else, just contact me through my website anniefinch.com, and I will inscribe one and send it off to you.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Annie Finch
WALK WITH ME
Walk with me just a while, body of sunlight,
body of grass, surface of trees,
head bending to the earth we have tasted,
body of death, surface of leaves.
Sinking hooves in the mud by the river,
root of the live earth, live through my body.
Sinking body, walk in me now.
It’s here: SPELLS: NEW AND SELECTED POEMS from Wesleyan University Press
A Thanksgiving Spell
Tags: Annie Finch, authors, Poet, poetry, publicist nyc, publicity nyc, sherri rosen publicity nyc, Spells, Thanksgiving, Wiccan, witches
This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 26th, 2013 at 4:52 am and is filed under Clients, Friends and Colleagues. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
