The poems and songs of Rod McKuen express a bittersweet, aching tenderness towards life that has endeared him to millions of fans.

During the late 1960s and early 1970s, he was perhaps the most popular poet in the United States. His songs have been recorded by over 500 artists, and he himself has produced over 200 albums.

Born in a Salvation Army hospital during the Great Depression of the 1930s, driven by brutal abuse to run from his family, and forced to earn his own living at a variety of laborer’s jobs from the age of eleven, Rod McKuen could have grown up hard, embittered, and angry. However, without security or education, McKuen managed to uncover in himself a writer’s soul and to hone and develop his skills as a poet and a songwriter.

Although his work has often been lambasted by critics as cloying and trite, McKuen’s poetry is unpretentious and accessible to the average reader, and his songs in particular exhibit a high level of craftsmanship.

Listen to the Warm
By Rod McKuen

 I live alone. It hasn’t always been that way.
It’s nice sometimes
to open up the heart a little
and let some hurt come in.
It proves you’re still alive.

I’m not sure what it means.
Why we cannot shake the old loves from out minds.
It must be that we build on memory
and make them more that what they were.
And is the manufacture
just a safe device for closing up the wall?

I do remember.
The only fuzzy circumstance
is something where-and how.
Why, I know.
It happens just because we need
to want and to be wanted too,
when love is here or gone
to lie down in the darkness
and listen to the warm.

.
“It doesn’t matter who you love, or how you love, but that you love” – Rod McKuen

Link back to the Poetry Wednesday tour on Laurita’s page

deletereply starfishred wrote on Jan 19, ’09 he was really wonderful- a wonderfully melancholy poem brings tears to my eyes

deletereply sweetpotatoqueen wrote on Jan 19, ’09 lauritasita said “It doesn’t matter who you love, or how you love, but that you love” – Rod McKuen Such a wonderful quote! Thanks for sharing. My poetry for this week can be found here:http://sweetpotatoqueen.multiply.com/journal/item/233/Poetry_Wednesday_Poetry_for_Golfers

deletereply notjay wrote on Jan 19, ’09 Wow! I really like this work. Thank you for sharing it. Jay

deletereply gileson wrote on Jan 20, ’09 A Couple of Poems from Tim . Thought these might be appropriate this week

deletereply sanssouciblogs wrote on Jan 20, ’09, edited on Jan 20, ’09 It’s been so long since I read this and held that orange book in my hands. He was 70’s good. and He’s still good. I feel the loneliness, that universal feeling. It gets to me!

deletereply mntsinger wrote on Jan 20, ’09 this is very good thank you for sharing it 🙂

Comment deleted at the request of the author.

deletereply gileson wrote on Jan 20, ’09 Dubya’s Farewell Speech

deletereply tylerh wrote on Jan 21, ’09 bittersweet indeed, why is it we cherish those sad moments of retrospection.. a very good question

deletereply sylvie1 wrote on Jan 21, ’09 he is so damn good.

editdeletereply lauritasita wrote on Jan 22, ’09 It took me a while to remember him from the sixties. He was interesting.

deletereply forgetmenot525 wrote on Jan 24, ’09 Hi Laurita…………….just trying to catch up on some of the stuff I’ve missed recently………..I have to admit this is one guy i don’t remember but he really seems to have an understanding of human emotions, lovely entry , thank you