This last week, the world mourned the passing of literary titan Toni Morrison. Morrison famously said, "I don't like to have someone call my books 'poetic' because it has the connotation of luxuriating richness. I wanted to restore the language black people spoke to its original power." Morrison did, however, write 5 poems. Connor and Jack Discuss one of them, "Someone Leans Near." Read all five of Morrison's poems, here: https://believermag.com/five-poems-by-toni-morrison/?fbclid=IwAR1-x9OjSe__E_TJKDAIoI_C2kZrzwMFWvh_fkyWcflIoj0k6YSSYmj378Y Find us on Facebook at: facebook.com/closetalking  Find us on Twitter at: twitter.com/closetalking  Find us on Instagram: @closetalkingpoetry You can always send us an e-mail with thoughts on this or any of our previous podcasts, as well as suggestions for future shows, at [email protected]. Someone Leans Near By: Toni Morrison Someone leans near And sees the salt your eyes have shed. You wait, longing to hear Words of reason, love or play To lash or lull you toward the hollow day. Silence kneads your fear Of crumbled star-ash sifting down Clouding the rooms here, here. You shore up your heart to run. To stay. But no sign or design marks the narrow way. Then on your skin a breath caresses The salt your eyes have shed. And you remember a call clear, so clear “You will never die again.” Once more you know You will never die again.

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

Transcript

Related