Ana finds a poem about perspective: distance and light make anything artistic!

Ana's husband Matt has no problem agreeing that his wife, who traveled here from another planet, after all, knows a great deal more about perspective than he does. He readily understood Ana's instant liking for the poem "Distance and a Certain Light," by May Swenson.*

Consider: in the news these days (June 2013) is that one of our interplanetary probes is going to take a photo of Earth from Saturn this coming November. People who follow such things cannot wait to see how Earth, the "blue marble," might look from the rings of Saturn--it's a matter of perspective, isn't it? It will be a perspective we've never had before, like the famous photo the astronauts took of the Earth from the moon.

Ms. Swenson's poem goes beyond the obvious, however: junkyards, garbage barges, rubbish dumps, can all look lovely from the right altitude. In fact, the poem points out, many an ugly, decomposing thing can be charming, as under a microscope, for example. The poet does not mention it, but Ana well knows that even the planets and stars are not permanent: our bodies, in fact, are made from elements produced in stars, and very likely will end up going around again in some form or other. The people of Ana's planet celebrate this cycle. We can too!

*"Distance and a Certain Light," by May Swenson

A poem about caring for others

A poem about gravity, and the center of things

A puzzle poem: what is this about?

A mysterious poem about a mysterious cat

See many more in the column on the right, under the LOVE sculpture-->

Meet Ana, the extraterrestrial who loves (some of) our poetry!

From a reader: "Things have been extremely difficult around here....The adventures of the Mendez family provided a wonderful distraction. And the ending filled me with hope, for some inexplicable reason. I love the warmth and togetherness of the family."

Ana loves a poem about a wife's secret, quiet moment with her husband

How often do you suppose someone from another planet ends up happily married to someone from this planet? 

We're not talking about a Star Wars romance. No, these two people could be your neighbors...if, that is, you lived on a country road in southern New Mexico.

Ana, the person from the planet Thomo, found a poem that reminded her so strongly of her loving relationship with her husband that she just had to add The Golden Hour, the book in which it appears, to her collection. 

There's a moment like the one in the poem in one of her stories, Distant Cousin: Reincarnation, as she watched her husband help their children on a wild bicycle ride. She pushed her fingers inside the waistband of his jeans and gave his belt several sharp tugs, saying, "You're a great father, Mr. Méndez," and kissed him on the cheek.

There's a similar private moment in the poem "Leaning In," by Sue Ellen Thompson. (See note below.*)

Ana's tastes in poetry and all things are heartfelt, eclectic, and straightforward. See more of her poems in the column at right, under the photo of the LOVE sculpture, including

*NOTE: The source website for some of Ana's favorite poems has been shut down (2017). There is a workaround that will take you to most of them, however. Please see this post. Thanks!

Caring for Others

Ana's favorite poem, School Prayer

A recipe poem: Cranberry-Orange Relish

Two lovely poems about children

A poem about the world beginning at the kitchen table

A poem for Valentine's Day

A love poem to a cat (Ana loves cats), one of at least three in the column

A poem about carpentry (which reminded her again of her husband)

And many, many more!

Why not meet the unforgettable Ana Darcy?

From a reader: "Things have been extremely difficult around here....The adventures of the Mendez family provided a wonderful distraction. And the ending filled me with hope, for some inexplicable reason. I love the warmth and togetherness of the family."

Matt gets sick; finds his own poem about sickness

We learned in Distant Cousin (volume 1) that Ana Darcy Méndez was born on the planet Thomo with an enhanced immune system. On Earth she has stayed remarkably healthy, with a few minor exceptions. Her family has generally been healthy as well, with only occasional colds, headaches, or upset digestive systems occurring from time to time.


Once, however, Matt had the flu, which he thought unfair, since he and his children always got flu shots. He spent a number of very uncomfortable days, as anyone who has had the flu will understand. His family tended him compassionately, though he found it difficult to appreciate their solicitude at the time. The sick, Leo Tolstoy once wrote, are not interested in the illnesses (or much else) of others.

Later, he came across a poem by George Bilgere that wonderfully encapsulated the experience of recovering from such a miserable experience. All in all, it brought back the glorious feeling of once again being fully alive and well, something we all too often tend to take for granted--that welcome sensation of eagerness for food, for company, and for all the sensual experiences we had been unable to appreciate when we are miserably sick.

As far as we know, he kept the poem to himself rather than sharing it with his wife. We are not sure why, but it may be the sensual conclusion of the poem. It surely could not be because of "the baker's store," where "everything smells like warm baguettes."

Right click to open in another window the poem Joy, by George Bilgere.

Note (2017): The link above has been closed. There is a workaround to find it elsewhere, however, along with many of Ana's other favorite poems. Please see this link.


See other poems the Méndez family loves in the right column, under the photo of the LOVE sculpture, including "The World Begins at the Kitchen Table."

Ana discovers a poem about tomatoes by Pablo Neruda

From her first week on Earth, Ana Darcy was delighted by many of the foods and tastes she found here. Among her very favorites are peppermint, lemon, asparagus, mozarella, chilies, and tomatoes. Living as she does in the Mesilla Valley of southern New Mexico, a famous garden area, fresh vegetables are easy to obtain in season. The family garden, accordingly, is small and tends to emphasize herbs and other rarities.


One crop they always grow is tomatoes, however, and she was thrilled to discover a lovely poem to tomatoes by the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. It was well within her ability to read in the original Spanish, but the English version also makes a tasty poem. Here are both versions.


"Ode to Tomatoes," by Pablo Neruda/por Pablo Neruda



The street                                       La calle
filled with tomatoes,                     se llenó de tomates,
midday,                                           mediodia,
summer,                                         verano,
light is                                            la luz
halved                                             se parte
like                                                 en dos
a                                                      mitades
tomato,                                           de tomate,
its juice                                          corre
runs                                                 por las calles
through the streets.                       el jugo.
In December,                                 En diciembre
unabated,                                        se desata
the tomato                                     el tomate
invades                                           invade
the kitchen,                                    las cocinas,
it enters at lunchtime,                   entra por los almuerzos,
takes                                               se sienta
its ease                                           reposado
on countertops,                             en los aparadores,
among glasses,                              entre los vasos,
butter dishes,                                 las matequilleras
blue saltcellars.                             los saleros azules.
It sheds                                           Tiene
its own light,                                  luz propia,
benign majesty.                              majestad benigna.
Unfortunately, we must                Devemos, por desgracia,
murder it:                                       asesinarlo:
the knife                                         se hunde
sinks                                               el cuchillo
into living flesh,                            en su pulpa viviente
red                                                  es una roja
viscera                                            viscera,
a cool                                              un sol
sun,                                                 fresco,
profound,                                       profundo,
inexhaustible,                                inagotable,
populates the salads                      llena las ensaladas
of Chile,                                         de Chile,
happily, it is wed                           se casa alegremente
to the clear onion,                        con la clara cebolla,
and to celebrate the union           y para celebrarlo
we                                                  se deja
pour                                               caer
oil,                                                 aceite,
essential                                        hijo
child of the olive,                        esencial del olivo,
onto its halved hemispheres,      sobre sus hemisferios
pepper                                           entreabiertos,
adds                                               agrega
its fragrance,                                la pimienta
salt, its magnetism;                     su fragrancia,
it is the wedding                          la sal su magnetismo:
of the day,                                    son las bodas
parsley                                          del día
hoists                                            el perejil
its flag,                                          levanta
potatoes                                        banderines,
bubble vigorously,                       las papas
the aroma                                hierven vigorosamente,
of the roast                                   el asado
knocks                                          golpea
at the door,                                   con su aroma
it’s time!                                       en la puerta
come on!                                      es hora!
and, on                                           vamos!
the table, at the midpoint             y sobre
of summer,                                   la mesa, en la cintura
the tomato,                                   del verano,
star of earth, recurrent                el tomate,
and fertile                                     astro de tierra,
star,                                               estrella
displays                                        repetida
its convolutions,                          y fecunda,
its canals,                                     nos muestra
its remarkable amplitude            sus circunvoluciones,
and abundance,                             sus canales,
no pit,                                            la insigne plenitud
no husk,                                         y la abundancia
no leaves or thorns,                      sin hueso,
the tomato offers                         sin coraza,
its gift                                     sin escamas ni espinas,
of fiery color                               nos entrega
and cool completeness.               el regalo
                                                       de su color fogoso
                                                       y la totalidad 
                                                      de su frescura.

A gardening poem

An artichoke poem

A vegetable poem

(More in the right column under the photo of the LOVE sculpture)
Meet Ana Darcy!

A Poem About Gravity, and Some Heavy Thoughts

Ana Darcy Méndez, the extraterrestrial woman who came to earth from her planet thanks to the power of gravity, was delighted to find a poem about gravity, and the center thereof. She loved discussing it with her husband. Matt had to show her what a "military Jeep" was (which the poem points out had a high center of gravity), and he had to sketch a picture of an ottoman (which has a low center of gravity). Neither knew that "gravidanza" was the Italian word for pregnancy. Ana was amused by that, and also by the Spanish word for the same condition, "embarazada," which erroneously suggests "embarrassed" to an English speaker.

She was also intrigued by the connotations "gravity" has for human behavior--the absence of which, in a person, the poet calls "flightiness." These connotations are not present in Luvit, her native language, and discussing them constituted a mini-lesson in some of the fine points of English, yet another reason she enjoys poetry.

Earth astronomers, but far fewer of the general population, understand that the original elements of the universe were only three or so of the lighter ones. The more than a hundred heavier elements were generated in the furnaces of the stars, after the big bang. We humans, along with most of the Earth, including the animals and plants, are composed of these star-generated elements. Our elements are eternal: we are literally made of "star stuff," and our elements will be recycled, along with our planet, our sun, and our universe, in the immeasurable course of celestial time. Ana's people not only know this, they celebrate it. The Thoman epic poem about Ana, The Eternal Circle, exalts this process.

That's why Ana liked the conclusion of the poem, the notion that people should have a "center of gravity." She agrees with the poet that the end of life is the "most perfect center of gravity ever."

 The Center of Gravity. by Ron Padgett*
Target page taken down. Please see the workaround!

The Poem at the Center of Ana

Taking a walk in the universe

Meet Ana Darcy!

(See more of Ana's favorite poems in the column on the right, under the LOVE sculpture.)

Ana's Favorite Puzzle Poem

Ana and Matt enjoy the occasional poem, though Ana, having grown up on another planet in a different culture speaking a different language, isn't quite as nimble as Matt, who has a BA in English, at picking up all the references.

She did beat him once, however. She figured out what was going on in one poem almost instantly, and had to explain it to her husband. She was so happy she actually clapped her hands and laughed.

It's a lovely poem, by Sylvia Plath. It turns up in many a college freshman anthology, in fact, and most college freshmen do not get it either.

The title is "Metaphors," and the first line is "I'm a riddle in nine syllables."

If you'd like to test yourself, the poem is here. Note & hint: Ana is far better at mathematics than her husband.

If you need more hints, we've hidden some here.

(See more of Ana's favorite poems at left, under the LOVE sculpture.)

Meet Ana Darcy!

Poem: Doing What Needs To Be Done

Ana has always had a straight-ahead manner about doing what needs to be done. That's evident from her stories, and it's also a trait appreciated by many of her neighbors. If something needs doing, say, at the local community center, she'll dig right in, while welcoming help from like-minded people.

Not everyone works this way, however. Some want to call meetings, elect officers, and talk over problems endlessly. Not Ana. A few people--we all know some--are put off by her independence and initiative.

Most likely, she learned this growing up in Thoman society, with its highly structured clan system. No matter how specialized one individual may be, all are responsible for the whole. That's probably a major difference between her culture and our own.

Ana said the poem "To be of use," by Marge Piercy, would be popular on Thomo.*

(The photo shows Ana speaking to a college sociology class.)

Poem: Caring for Others

*Sadly, a bunch of poem pages this blog linked to have been taken down. But there's a workaround!
Please see the workaround!

Meet Ana Darcy!

Measure Twice, Cut Once: a Poem about Carpentry

Why would an extraterrestrial woman be attracted to a poem about carpentry?

Ana's attention was caught by this poem because she had just spent part of the afternoon watching Matt rebuild a door frame in the old part of their house and then rehang the door.

He began after breakfast one morning, and didn't finish putting away his tools until the middle of the afternoon. The door frame was solid, though, and even matched the other ones in the house, and the door swung smoothly and closed tightly.

Ana, who tends to do things quickly, at first wondered why he was taking so long, but she soon realized he was thinking before doing, and making sure each step was done correctly. She often remembered that day with pleasure, especially when she opened or closed that door.

If you think about it, "Putting in a Window," by John Brantingham, is practically a love poem.

[NOTE: the linked page has been taken down. To search out this poem, please see the workaround. Thanks!]

See more of Ana's favorite poems in the right column under the photo of the LOVE sculpture-->

Now, meet Ana!

Two More Love Poems

If you know anything about Ana you know she likes love poems. Here are two sweet ones whose images appealed to her, the one partly because of late-night air travel, and the other, well, it just appealed to her and let's leave it at that. It can be said, however, that she does love the music of Boccherini.

****NOTE: these links have been taken down, but there is still hope for finding these fine poems. See here, please!

"Night Flight," by George Bilgere

"Quietly," by Kenneth Rexroth

Many more, in the right column under the LOVE sculpture!

Now, meet Ana Darcy!

Ana Darcy's Favorite Poem

Ana Darcy is surprisingly well read for someone who grew up on another planet, and came to live on Earth as an adult. She even famously read several Shakespeare plays (in Distant Cousin: Repatriation), although she admitted they were difficult for her. In Distant Cousin, she said she loves our fiction but she doesn't understand a lot of our poetry. There are plenty of us who don't either, actually.

But she does like some of it, and her very favorite, which she holds close to her heart and tries to live by, is a poem by Diane Ackerman called "School Prayer." That poem led off Distant Cousin: Reincarnation (the paperback edition), although it had to be left out of the Kindle edition because the agreement with Random House wouldn't allow it.

The poem is on the web, however. If you'd like to read it, it may be found here.* You will easily see why she might like it.

See more of the Earthly poems Ana loves in the column on the right under the photo of the LOVE sculpture.

*NOTE: the pages to which many of Ana's poems link have been taken down. There is a workaround, however: search for the author and title elsewhere. If you do that for Diane Ackerman's poem "School Prayer," for example, you will be directed here. Try it! It's a super lovely poem.

Now, meet Ana Darcy!