Pinheads and Poets

I was reading about our newly-named Poet Laureate, W.S. Merwin, an 82-year-old Maui recluse who started writing hymn lyrics when he was only five. He credits Ezra Pound for encouraging him to write 75 lines of poetry daily. It's difficult, at least at first, as I've tried. Much easier for me to write prose than attempt poetry as one thinks poems should be more esoteric, prompted by deep, inspired thoughts. David, the shepherd who became King, wrote a lot of poetry - some joyful, some from the depths of despair. I love his Psalm 8 which begins and ends with this: "O Lord our Lord, how Excellent is Thy name in all the earth!" Three verses later he writes a verse that I took as the name of an artwork I did (not the one pictured above which is a detail of a print I adore but did not do). The verse: "What is man that Thou are mindful of him?" In my painting there is a wee pinhead man looking heavenward. David's awe-inspired and humbling question echos today but I for one am very thankful GOD loves pinheads and poets equally.