Simpler than That
It doesn’t involve choir and orchestra
Or the hosts of heaven—productions
Of that kind are always suspect--
It’s much, much simpler than that.
It could be the sound of a scratchy fiddle,
Or finding yourself surrounded by swallows;
Certainly an abundance of bird- and plant-life,
And the strongest music, are tell-tale.
From other evidence you can guess
What is in play—intense joy at natural things
That tell you how you belong, that
There is nothing not given at some time.
John Leonard is an Australian poet with five poetry collections published. His poetry has been widely published in the UK, Australia and on the Internet and some of his poems have been translated into various languages. His novel Shakespeare in Virginia was published in 2024 in London. www.jleonard.net
It doesn’t involve choir and orchestra
Or the hosts of heaven—productions
Of that kind are always suspect--
It’s much, much simpler than that.
It could be the sound of a scratchy fiddle,
Or finding yourself surrounded by swallows;
Certainly an abundance of bird- and plant-life,
And the strongest music, are tell-tale.
From other evidence you can guess
What is in play—intense joy at natural things
That tell you how you belong, that
There is nothing not given at some time.
John Leonard is an Australian poet with five poetry collections published. His poetry has been widely published in the UK, Australia and on the Internet and some of his poems have been translated into various languages. His novel Shakespeare in Virginia was published in 2024 in London. www.jleonard.net
