Let Me Put It This Way
Let me put it this way:
if you came to lay
your sleeping head
against my arm or sleeve,
and if my arm went dead,
or if I had to take my leave
at midnight, I should rather
cleave it from the joint or seam
than make a scene
or bring you round.
There,
how does that sound?
By Simon Armitage retrieved from 365 Poems for Life p. 55.
Invitation: “If I had to take my leave at midnight…”
Simon Armitage was appointed Poet Laureate in 2019 and is the professor of Poetry at the University of Leeds. He has published over 20 collections of poetry and travel books. His first book of poetry is Zoom! was published while he was working as a probation officer. He has written two novels, Little Green Man and The White Stuff, as well as All Points North, a collection of essays.
Listen to Simon as he reads his poem Balancing Acts a poem inspired by Brimham Rock, in the Video Below.
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February Courageous Citizen
Welcome to our February Circles of Courageous Commons posts dedicated to courageous citizens and truth-telling that is not always loud, but more often it is steady like a heart beat, the flutter of the birds wing, or as steadfast as the moon and the sun.
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if I had to take my leave at midnight.... I hear the poet's concern not to disturb the comfort, peace and sleep of the loved one -- if at all possible, to move with the least amount of disruption. The accompanying photo has an infant at sleep -- how does one move, or leave, without disruption?