Philip Thatcher, North American Poet

“Reading the River” photo by Bruce Donehower

“At a Glance . . .”

On Saturday October 30 poet Philip Thatcher gave a reading of his poetry. Philip also discussed “The Poet’s Process.”

Philip is the former General Secretary of the Anthroposophical Society in Canada.

“Tell me more . . .”

“There is a wind in love with earth
a wind that will lift earth away
from earth and caress her into
a column of dust, swirl her
into a passion of sand
then with a last kiss
lay earth down upon earth
spent, fertile
Such a wind knows its time
will come
then go
Such a wind will die away
without rage or lament
will want no final words

— Philip Thatcher, “Such a Wind” from the poetry collection “Fine Matter.”

“Despise nothing but
your need to despise
Know your hands are
not tied, though
they may fumble at
what they love . . .”
— Philip Thatcher, from Fine Matter

“The closer you get to real matter, rock air fire and wood, boy, the more spiritual the world is.”
— Jack Kerouac, from The Dharma Bums