Discussing
A Found Poem by Seamus Heaney

Beautiful words Cathleen. I too will miss him.

I loved how the NYT's started off one of their obits, "In his Nobel acceptance speech, Seamus Heaney said that he prized the sort of poem that provides not just “a surprising variation played upon the world,” but “a retuning of the world itself” — delivering a visceral surprise, “like the impatient thump which unexpectedly restores the picture to the television set, or the electric shock which sets the fibrillating heart back to its proper rhythm.” (Aug 30, By MICHIKO KAKUTANI)

Seamus Heaney was clearly a man after God's own heart.

This is a beautiful poem. Thanks for sharing it.

But there seems to be a typo in it. Shouldn't it be "altar rails" rather than "alter rails"?

Hi Bill - Josh, TC editor here. That's a good question. Seems like you could be right, but I want to check with Cathleen before changing a Seamus Heaney poem myself! (We published this piece through Religion News Service, so I didn't work with Cathleen directly.)

You were right, Bill. Cathleen confirmed it should be "altar." Thanks for the catch!