Read a poem, talk about it, read it again.
EXTRA: Toni Morrison's Legacy, Subversive Endings, and Musical References Galore
9/7/2019
Connor and Jack had so much to say about Toni Morrison's "Someone Leans Near" that it didn't all fit in one show! In this week's extra episode, they discuss the ending of the poem in depth as well as the idea of endings, especially those that subvert expectations. They also contemplate Morrison's incalculable contribution to literary life and her vibrant legacy.
Check out Episode #075 for a full conversation about the poem: Close-talking – Episode-075-someone-leans-near-toni-morrison
Read all five of Morrison's poems, here: https://believermag.com/five-poems-by-toni-morrison/?fbclid=IwAR1-x9OjSe__E_TJKDAIoI_C2kZrzwMFWvh_fkyWcflIoj0k6YSSYmj378Y
Someone Leans Near
By: Toni Morrison
Someone leans near
And sees the salt your eyes have shed.
You wait, longing to hear
Words of reason, love or play
To lash or lull you toward the hollow day.
Silence kneads your fear
Of crumbled star-ash sifting down
Clouding the rooms here, here.
You shore up your heart to run. To stay.
But no sign or design marks the narrow way.
Then on your skin a breath caresses
The salt your eyes have shed.
And you remember a call clear, so clear
“You will never die again.”
Once more you know
You will never die again.