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1/30/18

to secede

POEM The mad farmer, flying the flag of rough branch, secedes from the union by Wendell Berry (1994) + she her

From the union of power and money,
from the union of power and secrecy,
from the union of government and science,
from the union of government and art,
from the union of science and money,
from the union of ambition and ignorance,
from the union of genius and war,
from the union of outer space and inner vacuity,
the Mad Farmer walks quietly away.

There is only one of her, but she goes.
She returns to the small country she calls home,
her own nation small enough to walk across.
She goes shadowy into local woods,
and brightly into the local meadows and croplands.
She goes to the care of neighbors,
she goes into the care of neighbors.
She goes to the potluck supper, a dish
from each house for the hunger of every house.
She goes into the quiet of early mornings
of days when she is not going anywhere...

From the union of anywhere and everywhere
by the purchase of everything from everybody at the lowest price;
from the union of work and debt, work and despair;
from the wage-slavery of the helplessly well-employed.

From the union of self-gratification and self-annihilation,
secede into care for one another
and for the good gifts of Heaven and Earth...

1/23/18

Couple of Wendell Berry Poems

POEMS by Wendell Berry

To Know The Dark (1970)

To go in the dark with a light is to know light.
To know the dark, go dark. Go without sight,
and find that the dark, too, blooms and sings,
and is traveled by dark feet and dark wings.

A Warning To My Readers (1980) + wo-

Do not think me gentle
because I speak in praise
of gentleness, or elegant
because I honor the grace
that keeps this world. I am
a woman crude as any,
gross of speech, intolerant,
stubborn, angry, full
of fits and furies. That I
may have spoken well
at times, is not natural.
A wonder is what it is.

1/20/18

what is the difference between a moment and a memory?

1/11/18

words, worlds
rhythms and schisms
unknown; unknow
to wonder

1/2/18

for hearts on sleeves
and sweet transparencies