Today, I was listening to “Prarie Home Companion” and heard Billy Collins read some of his fine poetry. William J. (“Billy”) Collins served two terms as the 44th Poet Laureate of the United States, from 2001 to 2003.
His poetry is especially accessible, even to those of us who think verse can be fussy and artificial. Try this one. If you are new to poetry, I recommend you read it aloud. (Note: A “revenant” is a person who returns as a spirit after death, a ghost.)
The Revenant
by Billy CollinsI am the dog you put to sleep,
as you like to call the needle of oblivion,
come back to tell you this simple thing:
I never liked you–not one bit.When I licked your face,
I thought of biting off your nose.
When I watched you toweling yourself dry,
I wanted to leap and unman you with a snap.I resented the way you moved,
your lack of animal grace,
the way you would sit in a chair and eat,
a napkin on your lap, knife in your hand.
[poem continues…]
I would have run away,
but I was too weak, a trick you taught me
while I was learning to sit and heel,
and–greatest of insults–shake hands without a hand.I admit the sight of the leash
would excite me
but only because it meant I was about
to smell things you had never touched.You do not want to believe this,
but I have no reason to lie.
I hated the car, the rubber toys,
disliked your friends and, worse, your relatives.The jingling of my tags drove me mad.
You always scratched me in the wrong place.
All I ever wanted from you
was food and fresh water in my metal bowls.While you slept, I watched you breathe
as the moon rose in the sky.
It took all my strength
not to raise my head and howl.Now I am free of the collar,
the yellow raincoat, monogrammed sweater,
the absurdity of your lawn,
and that is all you need to know about this placeexcept what you already supposed
and are glad it did not happen sooner–
that everyone here can read and write,
the dogs in poetry, the cats and the others in prose.
Want more?