Everything I Need To Know I Learned From Hemingway
EVERYTHING I NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED FROM HEMINGWAY
“Man is not made for defeat.
A man can be destroyed but not defeated”
These words from Papa Hank are true as can be,
and so to myself must often be repeated.
No man ever spoke truer words, to my heart,
my life lived by what his yet represents.
Should I wish to meddle in the affairs of others;
“All things truly wicked start from an innocence.”
“The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.”
Reminds me that caring and loving mean taking the step first.
There is no crime in being proved wrong,
but judging rightly is the heart’s boon reimbursed.
Of his prose – books have been written, enough has been said,
While most of the world forgets his gift of verse sublime
His maxim I’ve taken as my own – “All my life I’ve looked at words
As though I were seeing them for the first time.”
The parley between author and reader akin
to carefully negotiated transaction,
but engagement is primary, exposition a crime,
“Never mistake motion for action.”
“I have learned a great deal from listening carefully.
Most people never listen.” Oh, but I do,
I stilled my wild soul, held my breathe until cold
As my writer’s heart listens to you.
“The world breaks everyone, and afterward,
Some are strong at the broken places.”
So I feel his strength in the frame of my life
As his philosophy my poet’s pen embraces.
And there is my affinity, my ties to the quick,
to the heart, soul and wit of the man.
For “A writer’s job is not to judge,
but to seek to understand.”
©2014 Christopher Reilley
I would love to know what you thought about this piece.
As his philosophy my poet’s pen embraces.
And there is my affinity, my ties to the quick,
to the heart, soul and wit of the man.
For “A writer’s job is not to judge,
but to seek to understand.”
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Shared with DVerse Poets for Open Link Night.
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©2014 Christopher Reilley
I would love to know what you thought about this piece.
Please consider leaving a comment.
Outstanding quotes from Papa, and wonderful exposition attached to them.
ReplyDeleteThis is absolutely outstanding work done, Christopher! I especially resonate with; "The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places.” 💘💘
ReplyDeleteThat's it, you win Poetry for today, hands down! Hem is my favorite writer and I have this very photograph on my wall, except that it has the quote about the world breaking everyone across it. This made my day. I wish I had a poster of your poem, I like it that well.
ReplyDeleteThanks for you kind words. I will reach out for permission to use the photo, and develop a broadside. I'll mention it here when it is available. I appreciate you greatly.
DeleteChris, he is a writer and poet that I also admire greatly. Not sure if you saw this dVerse prompt awhile back and the poems that sprang from it, but here it is, just in case: https://dversepoets.com/2021/06/22/dverse-poetics-one-true-sentence/
ReplyDeleteI love this stanza:
“I have learned a great deal from listening carefully.
Most people never listen.” Oh, but I do,
I stilled my wild soul, held my breathe until cold
As my writer’s heart listens to you.
p.s. Have you seen the Ken Burns series on Hemingway?
ReplyDeleteIt is a wonderful series!
DeleteI have, yes, I'm a big fan of Ken Burns too!
DeleteVery well done! Hemingway was quite a guy. I liked the line about taking the first step! Listening is one of the hardest things to do.
ReplyDeleteSo very well done, Christopher!
ReplyDelete“I have learned a great deal from listening carefully.
Most people never listen.” Oh, but I do,
I stilled my wild soul, held my breathe until cold
As my writer’s heart listens to you."
My daughter is a big Hemingway fan, and last year she and her husband visited his house at Key West. (She also loves cats.)
Excellent quotes from Hemingway..love the responses to them as well. Love his style of writing. Nice post!
ReplyDeletePat
A writer’s job is not to judge,
ReplyDeletebut to seek to understand.”
Nothing can be truer than this.