RING OF BONE

RING OF BONE
Collected Poems of Lew Welch
Edited by Donald Allen
With a Foreword by Gary Snyder

CITY LIGHTS

GREY FOX

San Francisco

Copyright 2012 by The Estate of Lew Welch

Foreword 2012 by Gary Snyder
Cover photograph of Lew Welch, 1965 by Steamboat,
aka Jim Hatch
Cover design by Linda Ronan

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Welch, Lew.
Ring of bone : collected poems of Lew Welch / edited by Donald
$OOHQZLWKDIRUHZRUGE\*DU\6Q\GHUs1HZ H[SDQGHGHG
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
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Title.
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2012012591

City Lights Books are published at the City Lights Bookstore

&ROXPEXV$YHQXH6DQ)UDQFLVFR&$
www.citylights.com

To the memory of
*HUWUXGH6WHLQ :LOOLDP&DUORV:LOOLDPV

,:$177+(:+2/(7+,1*WKHPRPHQW
when what we thought was rock, or
sea
became clear Mind, and
what we thought was clearest Mind really
was that glancing girl, that
swirl of birds. . .
( all of that )
$1'$77+(6$0(7,0(WKDWYHU\SRHP
SDVWHGLQWKHIORULVWnVZLQGRZ
DV:KDOHQnV,wanted to bring you this Jap Iris was)
carefully retyped and
put right out there on Divisadero St.
just because the florist thought it
pretty,
that it might remind of love,
that it might sell flowers . . .
The line
Tangled in Samsara!
Mt. Tamalpais 1970

CONTENTS
Foreword by Gary Snyder 13
Preface by Lew Welch 17
Book I (1950-1960) ON OUT
This Book Is for Magda 23
Chicago Poem 24
A Round of English 26
Memo Satori 31
I Fly to Los Angeles 32
7D[L6XLWH 35
1. After Anacreon 35
3DVVHQJHU3RHPWKH1XUVH 36
3. Passenger Poem, Mrs. Angus 36
3DVVHQJHU3RHPWKH0DLOPDQ 37
5. Top of the Mark 38
Leo Poems 39
Barbara/Van Gogh Poem 39
Leo, Pleased 39
Leo, in Absence of Fire 40
Song of a Self 42
Entire Sermon by the Red Monk 43
In Safeway Parking Lots,

2OG0HQ'ULYH6ORZO\%DFNZDUGV 44
The First Warm Day of the Year 44
Apotheosis of Leo 45
Circle Poems 46
Seasons 48
Eliotica Revisited 50
Skunk Cabbage 51
&RULQQDnV*RQH$SUH\LQJ 52
Atlantis Was Crete 53
A Parable of Wasps 54
<RX&DQnW%XUOHVTXH,W$Q\PRUHs 55
In Answer to a Question from P.W. 56
&RPSOH\QWDW 57

Virgin at the Bus Stop 57

Concerning the Murder of Birds 58
Goldilocks 59
The Four Stories of Apple 60
Hiking Poem / High Sierra 61
Four Studies in Perception 64
Wobbly Rock 68
Two Like Villanelles 74
Lines to an Urban Dawn 76
1RWHVIURPD3LRQHHURQD6SHFNLQ6SDFH 77
[I rate my fury with the] 78
Book II (1960-1964) HERMIT POEMS
Preface to Hermit Poems, The Bath 81
>1RW\HWP\EHDUGLVDOUHDG\ZKLWH@ 83
>,NQRZDPDQnVVXSSRVHGWRKDYHKLVKDLUFXWVKRUW@ 84
[Apparently wasps] 85
[I burn up the deer in my body.] 86
[Step out onto the Planet.] 87
[The Empress herself served tea to Su Tung-po,] 88
[Whenever I make a new poem,] 89
>7KHLPDJHDVLQD+H[DJUDP@ 90
[I saw myself] 91
Book III (1960-1964) THE WAY BACK
He Prepares to Take Leave of His Hut 95
He asks for Guidance 96
He Writes to the Donor of His Bowl 97
He Thanks His Woodpile 98
A Song to His Secret Farm 99
Farewell to His Birds and Animals 100
+H3UDLVHV+LV&DQ\RQV 3HDNV 101
+H*UHHWV$JDLQWKH2SHQ5RDG 101
He Finally Reaches the City 103
He Locates the Live Museum 106
He Begins to Recount His Adventures 108
+H([SODLQV,W$QRWKHU:D\ 115

Book IV (1964-1968) DIN POEM, COURSES

Din Poem 115
Supermarket Song 116
Courses 125
Course College Credo 125
Geography 126
History 126
Aesthetics 127
Math 127
Theology 128
Psychology 128
Botany 129
Philosophy 129
The Basic Con 130
Course College Graduation Address 131
&RXUVH&ROOHJH2DWK 131
Book V (1969-1971) THE SONG MT. TAMALPAIS SINGS
The Song Mt. Tamalpais Sings 135
2OHPD6DWRUL 137
Sausalito Trash Prayer 138
Prayer to a Mountain Spring 138
The Riddle of Hands 139
The Riddle of Bowing 140
The Rider Riddle 142
Redwood Haiku 143
Difficulty along the Way 143
Warning of Tamalpais 144
Springtime in the Rockies, Lichen 145
Song of the Turkey Buzzard 147
UNCOLLECTED POEMS
Editors Note 155
The Importance of Autumn 159
0RQRORJXHRI2QH:KRPWKH6SULQJ)RXQG
Unaccompanied 160
%UHDNIDVW2QH(DVWHU 161
Sweet Death 161

Anecdote of Tangerines 162

2O\PSLD2\VWHUV 163
1RW7KLV*UDGXDO,QWHOOLJHQFH 164
The Uses of Poetry 165
Utensil 166
The Epiphany of Toffy Belsky 167
David Is Dead 168
Epithalamion 169
Compleynt of His Mistress 170
Words to That Effect 170
$0DWWHURI2UJDQ6WRSVDQG6WDUWV 172
Large Little Circle 173
Seventh Grade 174
For Joseph Kepecs 175
1LJKWFOXE6FHQH1RY 176
)RUD.\JHU.QRZQE\$QRWKHU1DPH 178
Invention Against Invention 179
[First you must love your body, in games] 186
3DZQWR4XHHQ 187
o(YHU\ERG\&DOOV0H7ULFN\%XW0\5HDO
1DPHnV0U(DUOp$6HUPRQ 189
2UDQJH7DNH 190
,Q 2XW,Q 2XW 192
[Three Songs in Rat Flat] 193
[1] Without a Rifle, on a Cloudy Day 193
[2] Shasta! 193
[3] Buddhist Bard Turns Rat Slayer 194
[What a thing to know!] 196
Dane Poem 196
Graffiti 197
Small Turned on Song 200
1RW5HDG\IRU0H 201
Small Book to Break The Brain 202
A Very Important Letter 203
/HRnV3RHW3OLJKW 204
/HR*LYHV+LPVHOI<HW$QRWKHU1DPH 206
/HZLH<RXnUHD*RGGDP-HZHO 207

'RFWRU&DQ<RX6SHOO1HEXFKDGQH]]DU
Without Any Z? 207
Acedia 208
Maitreya Poem 210
How to Give Yourself Away: The Sermon
of Gladness 213
[Postgraduate Courses] 219
Law 219
Comportment 219
A Poem for Gerard Malanga 219
[Prepositions] 220
I Sometimes Talk to Kerouac When I Drive 221
Dear Joanne, 221
Cement 222
2XU/DG\RI5HIXVHG/RYH 223
:KDOHQnV)HHW 224
Small Sentence to Drive Yourself Sane 225
Dream Poem / Mother 225
Getting Bald 226
Mustache 226
A Memorable Fancy 227
Inflation 228
Frozen Pigeons 229
The Wanderer 231
A STATEMENT OF POETICS
Language Is Speech 235
A BRIEF CHRONOLOGY 251
INDEX OF TITLES AND FIRST LINES 255

FOREWORD

It will soon be half a century since Lew Welch left his car and his
camp and his plans, and walked off into the wilds of the northern
Sierra. This book of his poems, Ring of Bone, was first published
VRRQDIWHU+HZDV\HDUVROGWKHQ
Lew was a handsome, talented, and charismatic man who
VSRNH HORTXHQWO\ RQ PDQ\ WRSLFV s D KXPDQLVW E\ HGXFDWLRQ
whose first prose writings were on Gertrude Stein. He was one
RIDVHWRIIRXUSRHWVLQWKHODWHnVZKRZHUHVWXGHQWVDW5HHG
FROOHJHWRJHWKHUs3KLOLS:KDOHQ/HZDQG*DU\6Q\GHUWKHH[perimentalists, and Wiliam Dickey the brilliant formalist. Whalen,
Snyder, and Welch re-grouped in the Bay Area in the late fifties and
participated in the San Francisco Renaissance/Beat literary scene.
'RQ$OOHQDQGKLV)RXU6HDVRQV3UHVVLQKHULWHG/HZnVOLWHUDU\
archive, and published or republished eight books and chapbooks
by Lew. Ring of Bone is the major volume of poems, and since the
VPDOOHU o6HOHFWHGp LV ORQJ RXW RI SULQW , ZLOO TXRWH VRPH RI WKH
Preface I wrote then:
What we recognize as poetry, different from rock lyrics
say, carries a large body of cultural and archetypal lore
oPDNLQJVpLQORRSVIURPWKHSDVWDOVRDLPLQJLQWRWKH
future. The Poems in Ring of Bone have an underlying
drone-tone, like the tamboura of Indian music: a rich
EDVLF$VLDQDQG2FFLGHQWDOKXPDQHJURXQGLQJ
Lew Welch writes lyrical poems of clarity, humor,
and dark probings. The poems brought together in
this selection are the major works of a man who of his
forty-five years of life in the west gave twenty-one to
SRHWU\+LVZRUNVWDQGVLQWKHFRQWH[WRI6DQ)UDQFLVFR
poetry renaissance: the post-World War II libertarian
energy of striving to further develop the possibilities of
RSHQIRUPSRHWU\7KHKHDUWRIWKHERRNLVWKHo+HUPLW
3RHPVpDQGo:D\%DFNpVHFWLRQVsSRHPVHYRNLQJ
covering, the time spent in retreat and practice at a
cabin in the mountains of coast north California deep
up rivers still Yurok land. In those works Lew achieved
WKHPHHWLQJRIDQDQFLHQWVDJHWUDGLWLRQDQGWKHoVKDFN
VLPSOHpSRVWIURQWLHUEDFNFRXQWU\RIRXWRIZRUNZRUNLQJPDQnVVW\OHDQGWKHQWKHHOLWHUHEHOPRGHUQLVPRI

13

art He returned to the Bay Area at the inception of the

over-heavy flowering of hippie culture. It is instructive
how these poems have the essence but cut through the
SV\FKHGHOLFEDURTXH
The title Ring of Bone comes from one of his poems. It was
written we are told in 1963 when he was living and writing in that
FDELQWXFNHGDZD\XSDFDQ\RQRQWKH6DOPRQULYHUsSXOOLQJWRgether lines and thoughts from a letter to Robert Duncan that was
QHYHUVHQW,WLVSDUWRIWKHo+HUPLW3RHPpVHULHV
As for poetics, jazz musical phrasing of American speech
LVRQHRI/HZ:HOFKnVFOHDUHVWFRQWULEXWLRQV)LUVWFOXHG
in to write in natural speech and in terms of the musical phrase by Williams and Pound, he turns sometimes
to street-talk, street-jive, blues, bop rhythms, and can
score it on the page. This is done without cuteness or
obscurity. Indeed, all these poems have music and clarityRIODQJXDJHDQGDFRPSUHVVLRQVXFKWKDWoWKHZRUGV
VWRSEXWWKHPHDQLQJNHHSVJRLQJRQp+LVUHDGLQJRI
Chinese poetry and Japanese haiku in translation sharpened eye and ear, but led to imitation only when in fun.
Behind, and informing the playfuness and skill of
these poems is the evolving consciousness of a man who
struggled to be on the Way. He is one of the few who
VDZWKHEHDXW\RIWKDWHFVWDWLF0XWXDO2IIHULQJFDOOHG
the Food Chain.
0\ODWHZLIH&DUROH.RGDRQFHVDLGWKDWWKHo%DVLF3UDFWLFHpRI
KHU-RGRVKLQVHFW%XGGKLVWXSEULQJLQJsWKHVFKRRORI%XGGKLVP
ZKLFKDVWXWHO\FULWLTXHVWKHoHIIRUWpRI<RJLQVDQG<RJLQLVDQG=HQ
W\SHDVFHWLFVWRLPSURYHWKHPVHOYHVsZDV&KXUFK3RWOXFNV%XW
Lew was finally brought down by his addiction to alcohol. He and
I worked on his addiction together one time, both taking LSD
and sitting at the edge of the ridgetop above the hamlet of Stinson
%HDFK7KDWnVZKHUHKHILUVWUHDOO\VDZWKHYXOWXUHVDQGFDOOHGWKHP
WRKLPVHOIEXWWKHQVDLGsDOPRVWLQGHVSDLUso,nPQRWHGLEOHp
I was off in my own study of a dancing blinding baby Krishna and
WKHQ,GLVFRYHUHGP\VHQVHRIVPHOO:HGLGQnWVROYH/HZnVGULQNing problem, but after that day I never smoked tobacco again.
Poets learn a lot from witches; living with the image of
WKH7HHWK0RWKHUZDVWKHGDUNHUVLGHRI/HZnVVRQJV
He not only drank too much, he had a way with guns,
14

and took one with him into the woods, never to be seen
DJDLQLQ0D\RI7KLVLVSUHGLFWHGLQRQHRIKLV
ODVWSLHFHVo6RQJRIWKH7XUNH\%X]]DUGp
/HZnVPHPRU\DQGP\VWHU\OLYHVRQ,QWKHVSULQJRIWKH
Central Library of Los Angeles sponsored a gathering of several poets and writers who had known Lew, and we were all surprised by
the size and enthusiasm of the crowd that came, people of all ages.
&LW\ /LJKWV %RRNV WRRN RYHU /HZnV ZRUNV DIWHU 'RQDOG $OOHQnV
GHDWKDQGLQDOORI/HZnVERRNVZHUHRXWRISULQW7KH/RV
Angeles celebration of his work was push enough to get us to a new
edition of Ring of Bone. This bright-eyed bardic spirit, Lew Welch
VWLOOZDQGHULQJDQGVLQJLQJRQWKHEDFNURDGVs,LPDJLQHsDWWKH
IDUHGJHRIWKH:HVWsZLOOEHZLWKXVDORQJWLPH$V/HZDOVR
wrote,
Guard the Mysteries!
Constantly reveal Them!
Mystery: the life of art (though poets are always comSODLQLQJLVZLWKRXWHTXDO7KHUHLVQRWKLQJWRUHJUHW
Gary Snyder, 2012

15

PREFACE

I. The Structure
This book is organized into a structure composed of individual poems, where the poems act somewhat like chapters in a novel. The
poems are autobiographical lyrics and the way they are linked together tells a story. Though any of the poems will stand perfectly
well by itself, each nourishes and is enriched by the poems before
and after it.
I first became struck by the usefulness of such a form through
DFORVHVWXG\RI<HDWVnThe Tower. In that book Yeats addresses himself to the problem of accepting old age, and discusses the sub ject
through short lyric poems some of which cannot be understood
ZLWKRXWFRQVLGHULQJWKHERRNnVVFKHPHDQGDOORIZKLFKEHFRPH
ODUJHUEHFDXVHRIWKHLUFRQWH[WLes Fleurs du MalLVDQRWKHUH[DPSOH
of such a book, as is Songs of Innocence and Experience.
Ring of Bone might be called a spiritual autobiography arranged
LQ PRUH RU OHVV FKURQRORJLFDO VHTXHQFH %XW WKLV GRHV QRW DOZD\V
mean that poems near the beginning were written first. The mind
grows in a flickering kind of way. Sometimes an insight comes too
early to be fully understood. At other times, we are shocked that it
came, being so obvious, so late. I have also written new poems for
the purpose of filling gaps in the story, so any poem may have been
ZULWWHQDWDQ\WLPHRUQRW<HDWVIROORZHGWKLVSUDFWLFHo6DLOLQJWR
%\]DQWLXPpZDVZULWWHQIRUThe Tower. It appears first, as a preface
VRWRVSHDNEXWLWZDVZULWWHQLQZKLOHODWHUSRHPVZHUHPDGH
as early as 1919. The last poem in his book is dated 1920, but reVROYHVWKHSUHGLFDPHQWH[SUHVVHGVHYHQ\HDUVODWHU
The shape of Ring of Bone is circular, or back and forth.
1DWXUDOO\VXFKDIRUPQHYHUHQGV7KHSULQFLSDOFKDUDFWHUVDUH7KH
Mountain, The City, and The Man who attempts to understand
and live with them. The Man changes more than The Mountain and
The City, and it appears he will always need both.
7KHODVWVHFWLRQo7KH6RQJV0W7DPDOSDLV6LQJVpLQFOXGHV
DVDPSOHURIWKHQHZSRHPVZKLFKZLOOPDNHXSP\QH[WERRN,W
just keeps rolling along.
,nPEDFNRQWKH0RXQWDLQ

17

II. The Music

This book is a book of scores, for the voice. The scores will become
SRHPVRQO\ZKLOHWKH\DUHVRXQGHGSHUIRUPHGVXQJ2IFRXUVH
1RERG\ZRXOGGUHDPRIFDOOLQJWKHOLWWOHEODFNQRWHVRQWKHSDJH
the music of Bach, and so it is with poetry. Some argue that if this
is so we ought to publish our poetry on tapes and records only. I
GRQnWDJUHHZLWKWKDWDWDOO
, OLNH WKH LGHD RI JLYLQJ P\ UHDGHUV D WH[W WKH\ FDQ DFWLYHO\
perform, themselves. Far too many of our pleasures are spectator
sports already. All that is needed is to hear any poet read from his
works once or twice. From then on you have an accurate guide to
imitate or take liberties with. 1 was never able to enjoy or even read
Dylan Thomas until I heard a record of his. From then on his poHPVZHUHDVDFFHVVLEOHDVFRQYHUVDWLRQ%XW,ZRXOGQnWZDQWWRKHDU
all of his work on record, I enjoy doing it myself.
III.
,Q,VDLGLQDSURJUDPQRWHo:KHQ,ZULWHP\RQO\FRQFHUQ
is accuracy. I try to write accurately from the poise of mind which
OHWV XV VHH WKDW WKLQJV DUH H[DFWO\ ZKDW WKH\ VHHP , QHYHU ZRUU\
about beauty, if it is accurate there is always beauty. I never worry
DERXWIRUPLILWLVDFFXUDWHWKHUHLVDOZD\VIRUPp
I phoned that statement from work. I had a dreary, underpaid
job for the Bemis Bag factory, and the roar of their presses and bagmachinery was almost too loud to think, or talk over.
Since 1959 all kinds of things have happened to me and the
world, but I still hold to this statement, absolutely.
:KDWZDVWKHQWKHo%HDW*HQHUDWLRQpLVQRZGRZQWRDIHZ
survivors, each of whom went his only way. Most of us are gone
(as so many makers go early) into prisons, looney bins, penthouses,
graves, and the other silences of whatever desperation.
It has been no different for us than for any generation. Witness
5H[URWKnVSRHPRQWKHGHDWKRI'\ODQ7KRPDVZKHUHKHOLVWVWKH
victims he loved, who lost. Then counter this, or any other, with
the list of poets, painters, dancers, musicians, who lived beyond
their fortieth year.
+DSSLO\ ,nP VWLOO DOLYH DQG DP RYHU  )URP VXFK D UDUH
height it is possible to say (in defense of my work, and others here
or gone), that today, foolish as they may appear to the frightened
eye, young America swings much harder than we did, with less fear,
and more love.

18

American poetry, for at least 50 years, has had to screech above

WKHGLQRID%HPLV%DJ+DUW&UDQHnVGDGG\ZDQWHGKLPWRPDQage the family candy factory. Whitman could say it was marvelous
to see the muscled workers. But the poets who followed him (who
KDGWREHWKRVHZRUNHUVDWMREVNQRZWKDWWKHUHDLQnWQRPXVFOHG
ZRUNHUVWKH\nVRQO\YLFWLPV
Whitman, the roaming spectator, was victimized later. Fancy
SURIHVVRUV GR LW GDLO\ LQ WKH VWDWH XQLYHUVLWLHV 7KHUHnV D :DOW
Whitman Savings and Loan in his old home town. It only goes to
show what the reward is, if you work real hard and never cheat.
The sound we hear from our tribe is not much different from
the thousand sparrows who used to sleep in a palm tree outside my
window, once. The racket was unbelievable, but the birds were only
arguing about who has the right to sleep, and where.
6R LQ P\ SRHWU\ ,nYH WULHG WR NHHS WKH GLQ ZKLOH VWLOO EHLQJ DFFXUDWH WR WKH SRLVH RI PLQG WKDW OHWV XV NQRZ ZKDWnV ZKDW
6RPHWLPHV,nYHFDOOHGWKLVGLQo/HWWLQJ$PHULFDVSHDNIRULWVHOIp
2IWHQLWnVDGHSUHVVLQJMRE
But I still have faith that if I do this right, accurately, the sound
ZLOO HPHUJH D oPHDQLQJOHVV GLQ RI MR\p %HFDXVH , NQRZ WKDW WKH
true sound of living things, a carrot or a tribe, is meaningless, joyful, and we, singing it, know this joy.
7KLVVRXQGWKHGLQRIMR\LVTXLWHGLVWLQFWIURPWKHVRXQGRI
the Pentagon, Washington in general and especially Mr. Johnson,
the fear-ridden hateful spites of J. Edgar Hoover, and the killing
RUGHUVRIDQ\RQHZKRZDQWVWRoERVVpDQ\WKLQJZKHWKHURUQRWWKH
work ought to be done.
,WDOOFRPHVGRZQWRWKHULQJRIERQH:KHUHoULQJpLVZKDW
a bell does.
IV.
I once took a guided tour through a California winery and the
guide, a young man about 20 years old, droned away with his
memorized speech of facts and figures, chanting them perfectly in
that guide-chant all of us have heard, and suddenly he stopped and
\HOOHG o:KRVH NLG LV WKDWp $ VPDOO FKLOG ZDV GHWHUPLQHG WR IDOO
into a 500-gallon vat of wine.
The force of real speech slammed right against false speech
was startling as a thunderclap, and not because he called out loudly.

19

, YRZHG QHYHU WR UHOHDVH D SRHP RI PLQH ZKLFK FRXOGQnW DW
OHDVWHTXDOWKHIRUFHRIWKDWJXLGHnVo:KRVHNLGLVWKDWp3RXQGVDLG
that poetry ought to be at least as well written as prose. I say that
poetry ought to be at least as vigorous and useful as natural speech.
*

Tapes of readings are available through the Poetry Center, San

Francisco State University, the University of California at Berkeley
DQG 6DQWD %DUEDUD DQG VWDWLRQ .3)$ LQ %HUNHOH\ o$ 5RXQG RI
(QJOLVKp LV RQ D  USP UHFRUG SURGXFHG E\ 0RWKHU HGLWHG E\
/HZLV0DF$GDPVDQG'XQFDQ0F1DXJKWRQ
, VKDOO DOZD\V EH JUDWHIXO IRU WKH YLJRURXV oXQGHUJURXQGp
ZRUOGRIVPDOOSUHVVHVDQGoOLWWOHPDJD]LQHVpZLWKRXWZKLFKWKHUH
would be no poetry in America.
[1968-1970]
Ed. Note: KPFA recordings of Lew Welch can
be accessed at the Pacific Radio Archives
pacificaradioarchives.org

20

%22.,
r

ON OUT

THIS BOOK IS FOR MAGDA

q
What strange pleasure do they get whod
wipe whole worlds out,
ANYTHING,
to end our lives, our
wild idleness?
But we have charms against their rage
must go on saying, Look,
if nobody tried to live this way,
all the work of the world would be in vain.

And now and then a son, a daughter, hears it.

Now and then a son, a daughter
gets away
q

23

CHICAGO POEM

I lived here nearly 5 years before I could

meet the middle western day with anything approaching
'LJQLW\,WnVDSODFHWKDWOHWV\RX
understand why the Bible is the way it is:
Proud people cannot live here.
7KHODQGnVWRRIODW8JO\VXOOHQDQGELJLW
pounds men down past humbleness. They
Stoop at 35 possibly cringing from the heavy and
terrible sky. In country like this there
Can be no God but Jahweh.
In the mills and refineries of its south side Chicago
passes its natural gas in flames
Bouncing like bunsens from stacks a hundred feet high.
The stench stabs at your eyeballs.
The whole sky green and yellow backdrop for the skeleton
steel of a bombed-out town.
Remember the movies in grammar school? The goggled men
doing strong things in
Showers of steel-spark? The dark screen cracking light
and the furnace door opening with a
%ODVWRIRUDQJHOLNHDVXQVHW"2UDQRUDQJH"
It was photographed by a fairy, thrilled as a girl, or
D1D]LZKRZLVKHGWKHUHZHUHSHRSOH
Behind that door (hence the remote beauty), but Sievers,
whose old man spent most of his life in there,
5HPHPEHUVDoQLJJHULQDUHG7VKLUWSLVVLQJLQWRWKH
EODFNVDQGp
It was 5 years until I could afford to recognize the ferocity.
Friends helped me. Then I put some
/RYHLQWRP\KRXVH)LQDOO\,IRXQGVRPHTXLHWODNHV
and a farm where they let me shoot pheasant.

24

Standing in the boat one night I watched the lake go

absolutely flat. Smaller than raindrops, and only
Here and there, the feeding rings of fish were visible a hundred
\DUGVDZD\sDQGWKH%OXH*LOOFDXJKWWKDWDIWHUQRRQ
Lifted from its northern lake like a tropical! Jewel at its ear
%HOO\JROGVREULJKW\RXnGVZHDUKHKDGD
Light in there. His color faded with his life. A small
green fish . . .
$OOWKLQJVFRQVLGHUHGLWnVDJHQWOHDQGXQGHPDQGLQJ
planet, even here. Far gentler
Here than any of a dozen other places. The trouble is
always and only with what we build on top of it.
7KHUHnVQRERG\HOVHWREODPH<RXFDQnWIL[LWDQG\RX
FDQnWPDNHLWJRDZD\,WGRHVQRJRRGDSSHDOLQJ
To some ill-invented Thunderer
Brooding above some unimaginable crag . . .
,WnVRXUV5LJKWGRZQWRWKHODVWVPDOOKLQJHLW
DOOGHSHQGVIRULWVH[LVWHQFH
2QO\DQGXWWHUO\XSRQRXUVXIIHUDQFH
Driving back I saw Chicago rising in its gases and I
knew again that never will the
Man be made to stand against this pitiless, unparalleled
monstrocity. It
Snuffles on the beach of its Great Lake like a
blind, red, rhinoceros.
,WnVDOUHDG\UXQQLQJXVGRZQ
<RXFDQnWIL[LW<RXFDQnWPDNHLWJRDZD\
,GRQnWNQRZZKDW\RXnUHJRLQJWRGRDERXWLW
%XW,NQRZZKDW,nPJRLQJWRGRDERXWLW,nPMXVW
going to walk away from it. Maybe
$VPDOOSDUWRILWZLOOGLHLI,nPQRWDURXQG
feeding it anymore.

25