Seven years old, in my jigsaw world map
I saw the west coast of Africa
fit neatly beside Brazil
despite the expanse of ocean
that correctly came between
in broken blue.
Years later in a college lecture room
I discovered continental drift,
plate tectonics, theories of biogeography
and instantly understood.
Now, sifting through photographs
I see your distant face:
Africa to my Brazil.
First published in my pamphlet Unthinkable Skies and originally posted on this blog in 2006.
Meanwhile you can read my poem Beach Hut over on my Shapeshifting Green Blog here.
12 comments:
Thank you for your comment and for this poem. I drifted away from my Brazil... So this was very sweet for me. I checked all your other wonderful sites and enjoyed them very much too. Thanks for sharing!
It's sad when plate tectonics gets in the way of love. This is a very nice poem, and I love that it makes me thing of geography.
I remember that time when new discoveries happened everyday. When things made sense putting the pieces together.
I’m sure it was satisfying to have the professor explain plate tectonics to you. But I have to believe that nothing compared to that seven-year-old’s joy upon discovering how things fit for herself, despite not having the words to understand it.
Love that last stanza - takes me somewhere I didn't expect yet makes perfect sense. I love it when a poem does that.
I love how this poem moves ~ from childhood to adulthood, from something impersonal to the personal. Nicely done.
This is cool and works so well reflecting human dynamics and growth.
Images of Gondwanaland. Good poem. I like the way it's told/said very much.
Have a good 2007...
I love this poem! LOVE IT. I read it both silently and out loud several times, and what a pleasure!
Thanks - glad you enjoyed.
Alex - thanks for visiting back and browsing!
Dennis -exactly right!
So good, CGP, to be reminded of this poem. I think Dennis above says it all! Isn't curiosity a wonderful thing?
I enjoyed this, thank you.
All the best Jan
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