Ronnie McGinn's Poetry Page

Phillip Eric Sobel of Jackson Heights, Queens is the author of this week's well written and meaningful poem.

Somehow Phillip got the impression that our Poetry Corner might be exclusively Irish orientated and was therefore a little apprehensive about forwarding a poem.

Rest assured Phillip, poetry is poetry and good poetry like yours can have no known boundaries and is welcome in more places than the rest of us can dream about.

Phillip is a writer, artist and private home tutor; a graduate of Cooper Union College/School of Art and a Life Member of The Art Students League of New York. And, is also a fan of Mary O'Hara's harp music!

His poem "When Swallows Swooped" is dedicated to Moira and Michael Breen a fine, Irish couple who live in his neighborhood.

Phillip tells us that the first line is also the title and this in poetic terms is called an "Incipit". Now that is something for all of us to practice on. Thank you Phillip!

When Swallows Swooped

parallel to the lake,
with their tails aflutter
like ribbons from hats
worn by men of Brittany;

when birdnests and butterflies
were magical, frogs were friends;
and fern, in gracious groups,
welcomed us into a forest
visited by jewel-like salamanders;

when blue cornflowers
bloomed in straw fields
overseen by the sun
that warmed our hair;

those were joyous days,
but we did not know
it.

© Phillip Eric Sobel