Huge hello to the little influx of subscribers from across the pond that landed on my Substack today! You are very welcome and I hope you like some of the poems that I’m rolling out each day as I work through 30 Poems Read from Scotland. Louise Glück is the first American poet I’ve read, but I’ll make sure that she’s not the last. Now, I’m a bit embarrassed to say that I hadn’t heard of her when this book landed on my doorstep as a gift from my brother-in-law who lives in Colorado. Buuuut, a quick flick through and a read of the blurb showed me that I soon would and most definitely should have! This book is one that will stay with me for life and I find that it’s dip-able in a way that only the best collections are. I never come out disappointed and even familiar poems take on a different weight depending on my mood when I read them. This poem - Civilization talks to the big question of what it is that makes us who we are, both individually and as a species and I’m absolutely here for that. Please dig into more of Louise’s work and holler in my general direction if there are any specific poets that you think I should explore…
Civilization by Louise Glück