Kurt Vonnegut – ‘Two Little Good Girls’

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[  # 86 of My Favourite Short Poems  ]

vonnegut

Known primarily as a novelist, Kurt Vonnegut (1922 – 2007) was an American writer. He published 14 novels, three short story collections, five plays, and five works of non-fiction. He is most famous for his darkly satirical, best-selling novel ‘Slaughterhouse-Five’, published in(1969.

I do like this short poem of his which I came across only recently.  Apparently it was never given a title by Vonnegut and was discovered in a letter of 1961 sent by him to a friend.  It has a delightfully simple and artless warmth which engenders such good feeling and optimism.

 

Two little good girls
Watchful and wise —
Clever little hands
And big kind eyes —
Look for signs that the world is good,
Comport themselves as good folk should.
They wonder at a father
Who is sad and funny strong,
And they wonder at a mother
Like a childhood song.
And what, and what
Do the two think of?
Of the sun
And the moon
And the earth
And love.

 

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4 thoughts on “Kurt Vonnegut – ‘Two Little Good Girls’”

  2. I can well see that this poem spoke to you Roland, it is warm and caring.
    It seems to me that Kurt Vonnegut wrote about e.g. his daughter and her
    friend. Observing their purity and wondering.
    I had a close friend like that all my growing years and I could tell Kurt
    that they think a lot and search for truth as they can see it.
    And talk about their dreams.

    Miriam

    Liked by 1 person

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