Response to Poems by Mary Oliver and Franz Wright

I read excerpts from American Primitive Poems by Mary Oliver and Walking Martha's Vineyard Poems by Franz Wright and wrote my responses in the form of a poem for each collection. I wrote the following poem Eagles in response to Mary Oliver. I tried to touch on the spiritual importance of nature on an individual's soul and acknowledge the ever present force of time in a short descriptive piece. In retrospect, the structure of the poem does not adhere to many of Oliver's shorter line styles; instead my lines consist of larger semantic units. Also, my poem turned out more narrative than descriptive. None-the-less, I think the poem is effective in its own right. Be a Light Unto Yourself attempts to mimic Wright's optimism and use of religion/religious figures in his poetry. I sold him a little short in terms of his use of metaphor and I also shamelessly used religion to rally my politics. I found his structure was a better expressive medium for me.

Eagle
After a walk in a wood
where I stole to ponder--
where I pondered to steal,
I am refreshed and
none the heavier
from nature's booty.

Since the walk, I have
realized this:
something was given to me
somewhere between the
woodshed and the Southern pond

Now, militarily erected back, I gaze up and
respect the sky knowing there are Eagles.

Be A Light Unto Yourself
In a cavernous monestary chapel
supported by tremendous trusses
built by calloused spiritual hands
next to a thronging reflection pool,
The Buddha tells him to tell me,
“Be a Light unto Yourself”
-- as the sun shines on my corpse
my soul shall radiate and enliven my flesh.
Don't we need a break, one hiatus
from present 'til future?
This eternal flash-gap of timeless awareness
is the enlightenment of the
silent spiritual warrior.

Violence has the frenzied aura of haste.

Would Jesus roll over in his earthen grave,
take back his flesh,
if he could, to redirect the thoughtless
politics of down-beat times?
We with a moment must unite
and rally this paradoxical machine--
pause, ponder,
be a beacon to our peoples.