Cascadia Poetics LAB
Poetry Postcard Fest
Watershed Press
Cascadian Prophets Podcast
Cascadia Poetry Festival 8

Sam Hamill Poem – To My Muse

November 4, 2012
Ryukan

Sam Hamill reads from his new chapbook, Border Songs, Saturday, November 10 at 7:30 at Spring Street Center, 15th & Spring in Seattle, a block south of Union. Details here. His friend and collaborator Ian Boyden will display one of the most remarkable books ever created, Habitations, which features several pages that are original paintings with Sam’s poetry laser-etched on the pages. The reading is made possible in part through a grant from SICA, the Subud International Cultural Association.

To My Muse

I admit it. I’ve grown
less fond of poetry
as I’ve grown old.
What once seemed bold
is commonplace, a howl,
a whisper, a groan.

I’m no longer dazzled
by philologists
arguing the subtleties
of antiquities. I’m baffled
by poets who succeed.

What’s more, I never
really trusted
the trusty metaphor,
the smiling simile
grinning back at me
from the work-shopped page
of tomorrow’s star.

I like my language
to be clear
as any summer day,
no affects to get in the way
when you, My Dear,
come calling.
Meanwhile,

I am here, waiting
in the twilit regions
of the lizard brain, listening
like a bride for that
first breathy whisper,
uncertain of whether you
are an angel or a demon.

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

dashed cool colors line

You May Also Like

PPF Donor Workshop Video

PPF Donor Workshop Video

This past Wednesday, we hosted a workshop for donors of the 2025 Poetry Postcard Fest, where Paul Nelson provided guidance for having a successful postcard fest and led the group in generative assignments to prepare for a summer of spontaneous composition! You can now...

Cascadia Poetics Lab in Cumberland

Cascadia Poetics Lab in Cumberland

Cascadia Poetics Lab in Cumberland On August 22-24, 2025, Cascadia Poetics Lab's sister organization Rain Shadow Poetics Lab is hosting Language and the Land, a multi-day poetry festival in Cumberland, B.C.! Rainshadow Poetics Lab is our Canadian connection...

PPF Donor Workshop June 11

PPF Donor Workshop June 11

PPF Workshop for Donors! Postcard season is coming up soon! As a thank you to our dedicated postcard poets and generous donors, we are hosting an online workshop for supporters of the Poetry Postcard Fest that donate $10 or more with their PPF registration. In this...