Dead Poets

I ordered a DVD yesterday that I hope to watch with my kids:  Dead Poets Society. It's a movie I had forgotten about, but one well-worth a rental if one is inclined toward the value of education, friendship, and the deep relationships that can be forged between teacher and student.  I've had many influential teachers in my life, and I'm grateful for them all.

Some months back I also began writing a series of poems about great American writers and poets, and here's one I wrote about Wallace Stevens . . . the man considered by many to be the quintessential poet of the 20th century.

Wallace Stevens

What was it like--to sit behind a desk by day--
Conjuring actuarial formulas as prelude to poetry,
And after hours, waltzing the streets of Hartford
In search of inspiration?

You were the epitome
Of one who worked a beat,
Nightstick twirling at the flick of your wrist,
Most persistent and brave with perspiration.

Now, we look back on your Auroras,
Your Blue Guitar, your Quince, your Key,
And feel transported beyond Connecticut
To Your Final Soliloquy.