the life-changing poetry of William Stafford

I once chanced upon a Tumblr blog called "You Reading This... Be Ready" and was so taken by its blog name that I googled it to see if it was a reference to something. And what a something the reference turned out to be. It was a poem by William Stafford, an American poet whose works are described as pacifist.

Like many poets, Stafford wrote about a spectrum of themes, including the western US and the environment. But the poems that captured me most are his grand explorations of personal concepts such identity, human potential, and the future. Using everyday words, these poems have built for me wide-open windows into my self, with visions so magnificent, I can't help but be inspired.

Here, my five favorites from William Stafford: