(In which, we are proud to announce the launch of “Terry.”) It has to be spread out, the skin of this planet, has to be ironed, the sea in its whiteness; and the hands keep moving, smoothing the holy surfaces. In Praise of Ironing, PABLO NERUDA * * * It has to be loved the way a laundress loves her linens, the way she moves her hands caressing the fine muslins knowing their warp and woof, like a lover coaxing, or a mother praising. It has to be loved as if it were embroidered with flowers and birds and two…
The Science Creative Quarterly
By pkpage
P.K. Page was born in England and brought up on the Canadian prairies. She was out of the country for many years with her diplomat-husband, Arthur Irwin, and now lives in Victoria, British Columbia. She is the author of more than a dozen books of poetry, fiction, and non-fiction, including three books for children. Among her honours, she has won the Governor General's Award for poetry. She is a visual artist whose works are represented in the National Gallery of Canada and the Art Gallery of Ontario and in other distinguished collections.
The poem, Planet Earth, was selected to be part of a United Nations program to foster dialogue among nations, involving readings in countries around the world and possibly from Alpha, the new international space station. The poem was published in Ms. Page's collection, The Hidden Room, Collected Poems (in two volumes), 1997 by The Porcupine's Quill Inc, and reprinted with permission.
Planet Earth was inspired by four lines of a longer poem by Pablo Neruda, a Chilean writer. The poem expresses her feelings and pain for what humanity is doing to the Earth.