Gwendolyn Brooks - To Be In Love

February 14, 2010.

I, once again, messed up in saying that Gwendolyn Brooks is still alive. She is not. She passed on in 2000. She was born in 1917 in Topeka, Kansas and was raised in Chicago (woot!). I read her poem, "The Mother" a while back. Here it is again if you missed it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dinplx_uaAc

To Be In Love To be in love
Is to touch things with a lighter hand.

In yourself you stretch, you are well.

You look at things
Through his eyes. A Cardinal is red. A sky is blue.
Suddenly you know he knows too.
He is not there but
You know you are tasting together
The winter, or light spring weather.

His hand to take your hand is overmuch.
Too much to bear.

You cannot look in his eyes
Because your pulse must not say
What must not be said.

When he
Shuts a door--
Is not there--
Your arms are water.

And you are free
With a ghastly freedom.

You are the beautiful half
Of a golden hurt.

You remember and covet his mouth,
To touch, to whisper on.

Oh when to declare
Is certain Death!

Oh when to apprize
Is to mesmerize,

To see fall down, the Column of Gold,
Into the commonest ash.

Copy written materials are not mine and copy rights are retained by their respective owner(s). Actual lines of verse are reproduced here for educational, not-for-profit purposes.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Gwendolyn Brooks
• Gwendolyn
• Brooks
• To Be In Love
• Love
• To Be
• In Love
• Poet Laureate
• Being In Love
• Black History Month
• Laureate
• Black History
• History Month
• Black
• History
• Month
• Chicago
• Illinois
• Il
• Topeka
• Kansas
• 1917
• 2000. Poems
• Poem
• Poets
• Poet
• Poetry
• The Mother
• Read Aloud
• Read
• Aloud
• PoemsEveryDay
• keeppoetryalive

[WhiteOutStain]

Gwendolyn Brooks is not still living. She died in 2000.