Seamus Reads

Do Stones Feel?

The question we’re all dying to know. Or maybe it’s just me. “Too terrible it would be, to be wrong.” Please enjoy “Do Stones Feel?” from Blue Horses. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit seamushawkins.substack.com [https://seamushawkins.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Her Grave

For the love of dogs. This poem talks about death. May “Her Grave” keep you company. From Devotions. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit seamushawkins.substack.com [https://seamushawkins.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

The Orchard

A poem about cycles, about the fullness of summer and the ache of the end in the height of ripeness. Please enjoy “The Orchard” from Mary Oliver’s Devotions. Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican victory over the French forces of Napoleon III at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. This battle was significant as it thwarted Napoleon III's attempt to establish an empire in Mexico and provided a morale boost to the Mexican forces, even though a larger French force ultimately defeated the Mexican army later that year. The holiday gained popularity in the United States during the Chicano Movement of the 1960s and 1970s, where it became a symbol of resistance against foreign invasion and a way to link the struggle of the Chicano movement to Mexican heritage. By the 1980s, commercialization by companies, particularly beer companies and restaurants, further popularized the holiday in the U.S. In Mexico, Cinco de Mayo is more widely celebrated in the state of Puebla and the neighboring State of Veracruz, where it is marked with historical reenactments, parades, and meals to commemorate the battle. However, it is not a federal holiday in Mexico, unlike Mexican Independence Day, which is celebrated on September 16. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit seamushawkins.substack.com [https://seamushawkins.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

To Shiva

Spring is well under way and this poem brings us right into the precariousness of caring for new, tender life. Please enjoy “To Shiva” from Mary Oliver’s 2014 collection of poems, Blue Horses. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit seamushawkins.substack.com [https://seamushawkins.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

One or Two Things

Welcome to another Monday and another le printemps-themed Mary Oliver poem. I hope you enjoyed some rest last week and have had a moment to get curious about buds, blooms, and the rummaging of birds making nests. Please enjoy “One or Two Things” originally found in Dream Work (1986) and read here from Devotions (2017). This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit seamushawkins.substack.com [https://seamushawkins.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]