Some poems are straightforward to break down into paragraphs, sentences and clauses, to better extract their meaning.

This one is a little more difficult.

There are three sentences here, but the last of them, when you see the poem laid out on page or screen, spans six stanzas, and takes us to several places in both the physical world and the interior world.

Who is the true love?

Is it the love and acceptance of another?

Is it the love and acceptance of oneself?

Please share your thoughts by joining the Poems for the Speed of Life Substack community here.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠You can read "The Truelove" here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

You can also find the poem as part of David Whyte's series of 52 sessions on the Waking Up app here.

***

For a detailed outline of the mission and purpose behind this podcast, please check out Episode 100, "Why Poems for the Speed of Life?", in your podcast player or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here to listen on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

If you’re on social media, you can follow on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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Once Upon a Time by Alex-Productions | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://onsound.eu/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  | Music promoted by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.free-stock-music.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

A gorgeous little poem that takes Charles Darwin and his reputed love of stories as its starting point.

This symbol - one of the fathers of modern science, upholding the value of story as something vital, alongside the scientific fact of his work - presents questions about what truth is.

And asks us to consider whether truth is something more than just a collection of facts.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠You can read "Consolation" here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

***

For a detailed outline of the mission and purpose behind this podcast, please check out Episode 100, "Why Poems for the Speed of Life?", in your podcast player or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here to listen on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

If you’re on social media, you can follow on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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Once Upon a Time by Alex-Productions | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://onsound.eu/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  | Music promoted by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.free-stock-music.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

What is the role of England in this poem?

Is "The Soldier" a nationalist polemic, glorifying war?

Or can we read the ideal, idyllic England of Rupert Brooke as a symbol of something else?

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠You can read "The Soldier" here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

***

For a detailed outline of the mission and purpose behind this podcast, please check out Episode 100, "Why Poems for the Speed of Life?", in your podcast player or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here to listen on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

If you’re on social media, you can follow on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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Music Credit:

Once Upon a Time by Alex-Productions | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://onsound.eu/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  | Music promoted by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.free-stock-music.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Breda Wall Ryan is Irish writer and poet.

She has published ⁠two collections of poetry⁠, In a Hare’s Eye and Raven Mothers. Her poems are full of powerful imagery, and she often brings the lives of women into sharp focus.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠You can read "Tremolo" on her website here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

***

For a detailed outline of the mission and purpose behind this podcast, please check out Episode 100, "Why Poems for the Speed of Life?", in your podcast player or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here to listen on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

If you’re on social media, you can follow on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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Music Credit:

Once Upon a Time by Alex-Productions | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://onsound.eu/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  | Music promoted by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.free-stock-music.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Hugo Dewar was an English poet and communist of the 20th century.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠You can read "Barcelona" here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

***

For a detailed outline of the mission and purpose behind this podcast, please check out Episode 100, "Why Poems for the Speed of Life?", in your podcast player or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here to listen on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

If you’re on social media, you can follow on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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Once Upon a Time by Alex-Productions | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://onsound.eu/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  | Music promoted by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.free-stock-music.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Nanao Sakaki was a Japanese poet and wanderer, who has been an inspiration to poets, artists and musicians around the world for the past half century.

In his foreword to Sakaki's collection, How to Life on Planet Earth, his fellow poet Gary Snyder (whose work you can hear in Episode 24 and Episode 116 of this podcast) wrote that he was known as "a uniquely free and bold-spirited wanderer, occasional river or mountain activist, singer and chanter, and internationally published poet."

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠You can read the poem here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

***

For a detailed outline of the mission and purpose behind this podcast, please check out Episode 100, "Why Poems for the Speed of Life?", in your podcast player or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here to listen on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

If you’re on social media, you can follow on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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Once Upon a Time by Alex-Productions | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://onsound.eu/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  | Music promoted by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.free-stock-music.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Douglas Dunn is a Scottish poet, who has been publishing collections for more than 50 years.

This poem, "France", was part of a collection of poems written following the death of his wife, Lesley Balfour Wallace, in 1981.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠You can read the poem here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

***

For a detailed outline of the mission and purpose behind this podcast, please check out Episode 100, "Why Poems for the Speed of Life?", in your podcast player or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here to listen on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

If you’re on social media, you can follow on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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Once Upon a Time by Alex-Productions | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://onsound.eu/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  | Music promoted by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.free-stock-music.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Bertolt Brecht was a Germany playwright and poet of the first half of the 20th century.

He was influenced by and part of the modernist movement which also included the writer James Joyce, the filmmaker Sergey Eisenstein and the artists Pablo Picasso, all of them trying to make sense of a world of rapidly encroaching technology, politics and violence.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠You can read the poem here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

***

For a detailed outline of the mission and purpose behind this podcast, please check out Episode 100, "Why Poems for the Speed of Life?", in your podcast player or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here to listen on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

If you’re on social media, you can follow on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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Once Upon a Time by Alex-Productions | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://onsound.eu/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  | Music promoted by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.free-stock-music.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Many listeners will be familiar with Mary Oliver.

This is the fourth Mary Oliver poem to feature on this podcast.

You can find Snowy Night in Episode 2, The Journey in Ep. 34 and Wild Geese in Episode 143.

This one returns to some gorgeous familiar ground with Mary Oliver — the tension between the sweetness and slowness of the natural world, and the restlessness of human ambition.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠You can read the poem here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

***

For a detailed outline of the mission and purpose behind this podcast, please check out Episode 100, "Why Poems for the Speed of Life?", in your podcast player or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here to listen on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

If you’re on social media, you can follow on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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Once Upon a Time by Alex-Productions | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://onsound.eu/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  | Music promoted by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.free-stock-music.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Sharon Olds is an American poet.

She has been publishing poetry for more than 40 years, most recently Balladz, published in 2023.

She has written a lot about men. One of her most famous poems is titled "Ode to the Penis", and in another, "My Son the Man", she write about how she must “get over my fear of men now my son is going to be one”.

This poem is about the terminal diagnosis of another man, her father, with whom she had a difficult relationship - he was an abusive alcoholic.

⁠⁠⁠⁠You can read the poem here⁠⁠⁠⁠

***

For a detailed outline of the mission and purpose behind this podcast, please check out Episode 100, "Why Poems for the Speed of Life?", in your podcast player or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here to listen on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

If you’re on social media, you can follow on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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Once Upon a Time by Alex-Productions | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://onsound.eu/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  | Music promoted by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.free-stock-music.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠