Thursday, May 9, 2024

ARE YOU LOST?


Stand still. The trees and bushes beside you
Are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here,
And you must treat it as a powerful stranger,
Must ask permission to know it and be known.
The forest breathes. Listen. It answers,
I have made this place around you.
If you leave it, you may not come back again, saying Here.
No two trees are the same to Raven.
No two branches are the same to Wren.
If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you,
You are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows 
Where you are. You must let it find you.


~Lost by David Wagoner~






David Russell Wagoner was born on June 5th, 1926, in Massillon, Ohio. Raised in Whiting, Indiana, from the age of seven, Wagoner attended Pennsylvania State University where he was a member of Naval ROTC and graduated in three years. He received an MA in English from the Indiana University in 1949 and had a long association with the University of Washington where he taught, beginning in 1954, on the suggestion of friend and fellow poet Theodore Roethke.  Wagoner was editor of Poetry Northwest from 1966 to 2002. He was elected chancellor of the Academy of American Poets in 1978 and served in that capacity until 1999. One of his novels, The Escape Artist, was turned into a film by executive producer Francis Ford Coppola. You can learn more about him here.





47 comments:

  1. I really liked the poem Denise, it was good that you included information about the author of the poem and a link.
    Exactly no tree is the same as another, he hears..
    How beautiful the forest is, a walk in the forest leaves something in our soul (I was yesterday morning and until the evening I had the images in my mind and they made my day).
    Thanks Denise!

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    1. I'm happy you like it Katerina, thank you and you are very welcome! :)

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  2. So powerful!!!! I really adore it, it touches my heart!

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    1. That's wonderful Ginny, I am glad you enjoyed it so much :)

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  3. I printed your poem. Where do you find them all? I was so taken with it that I forgot to say you took a gorgeous photo of the leaf. It screams LIFE.

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    1. That's great! I find a poem all over the place. Some I find and keep and set them up on my blog to be published sometime in the future. If I find one I truly love like this one, it is a privilege to share. Thanks for asking Ginny :)

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  4. It is a beautiful green to see

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    1. Glad you like it so much! I love taking 'green' photos :)

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  5. How true. And how beautiful. Thank you.

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  6. What a lovely poem that is. I love the line "Wherever you are is called Here"

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    1. Glad you enjoyed Ann :) that is a lovely line!

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  7. Beautiful! Thank you, Denise.

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    1. You are very welcome Janice, my pleasure to share :)

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  8. A lovely poem. With experience and an affinity with nature one can indeed learn some of its signs and navigate it proficiently, or at least avoid getting lost most of the time! So many people today barely know what a tree is, unfortunately!

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    1. Thank you David, I wish for everyone to see what we see. Perhaps we are sowing a few seeds :)

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  9. So very true are those words, love them Denise. What a beautiful leaf too.

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  10. I like the poem! I love a walk in a forest. Thanks for sharing! Take care, have a great day!

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    1. Me too Eileen, nothing like a walk among the trees :) You are very welcome and you take care and have a great day also :)

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  11. this is perfect, I feel this poem as I feel the trees I love.. truly a lovely poem

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    1. That's so sweet Sandra, and very happy they speak to you :) Thank you!

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  12. He must have known about trees and loved them to write piece you have at the beginning of the post.

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    1. I think he wrote everything he felt about nature. There's a peacefulness in this post that all nature lovers appreciate. Thanks Red :)

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  13. What a beautiful poem and the leaf selfie is perfect
    Hugs Cecilia

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    1. That's great, thank you Cecilia and sending hugs :)

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  14. Dear Denise :=)
    Beautiful poem written by a prodigious master of the written word. Thank you for the link. I found out a great deal about David Wagoner, and am in awe of his prolific writing of poetry, stories. and plays.
    Best wishes
    Take care
    Sonjia.

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    1. Dear Sonjia, perfectly described and you are very welcome :) I am very happy to introduce you to David Wagoner. You take care also :)

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  15. I love the close-up shot of the leaf.

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  16. i really enjoy poetry and this is a lovely piece!!

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    1. Super, I read poetry like I do any book, from cover to cover :)

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  17. My friend, How beautiful! I am unfamiliar with that poem, but have read and reread it already! Thank you for sharing. Have a cozy evening!

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    1. I am so glad you enjoyed this poem Billie Jo. More often than not poetry has a way of lifting my soul. You are very welcome and I wish you a cozy evening also :)

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  18. You find some of the best poems.

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    1. Happy you think so Rose, I appreciate you saying that. Thank you! :)

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  19. What a delightful poem.....and a very pretty photo to go along with the words. Thank you for sharing, Denise.

    ~Sheri

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    1. Much appreciate you letting me know Sheri. Thank you and you are very welcome :)

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  20. Really lovely poem and your leaf image is beautiful.

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    1. Thank you Beverley, I happily share and to know that you enjoyed it, doubly happy :)

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  21. Thank you Linda, so glad you liked it :)

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