I heard Billy Collins, former US Poet Laureate and one of America's best-selling poets, recite this poem at the Festival of Writing & Ideas in Borris, Co. Carlow this summer and I've played it and shared it with so many people since that I may as well share it with you.
Poetry you say...
I often say I just don't get poetry - I'm too literal. If it's not the cat sat on the mat well I don't get it but my exposure to poetry was so limited - those tedious descriptions of trees and landscapes that apparently were about history or war - I never got them. Then I came across poets like Billy Collins and this changed everything. Poets talking about the ordinary, the every day and usually with a clever, funny twist. So play this clip below, it's less than two minutes and I guarantee you'll laugh out loud at least once, particularly if you're over 35. In this video, Billy himself reads his poem "Forgetfulness" accompanied by an animation by Julian Grey of Headgear.
Is it ok when we forget?
We all forget something, sometimes - something from the shopping list, why we walked into the room, what we had for dinner two nights ago - it's ok - we don't need to clutter our brains with little details. The problem is when we forget the big stuff - our loved ones' birthdays, anniversaries and general big deals. But you know, we're only human but having said that you have to man up and call it - say you forgot and apologise. I hope this card helps you do just that.
PS If you ever find yourself in Ireland in early June, I strongly recommend a trip to the Festival of Writing & Ideas in Co. Carlow. The weekend festival is on the grounds of a beautiful country home and gardens, it's small and intimate with a star-studded line-up and it's about 40 minutes from my home. I'll see you there.