Happy Birthday William Carlos Williams

Today is the birthday of poet William Carlos Williams (1883-1963). He was a pediatrician at a hospital in New Jersey and a poet. I first read about him in Garrison Keillor's awesome book, Good Poems, and also encountered him in a lovely little Dover Book called 101 Great American Poems that was compiled by the American Poetry and Literacy Project. His style is very unique and reminds me of the "American Haikus" of Jack Kerouac. Here are 2 of his poems that I really like:

The Red Wheelbarrow

So much depends

upon

a red wheel

barrow

glazed with rain

water

beside the white

chickens.

This is Just to Say

I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox


and which
you were probably
saving 
for breakfast


Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold


In Garrison Keillor's book Good Poems there is also a response to this previous poem
from a writer named Erica-Lynn Gambino.


This is Just to Say

(for William Carlos Williams)


I have just
asked you to
get out of my 
apartment


even though
you never
thought
I would


Forgive me
you were
driving
me insane