James Wright - Collected Poems - 1972

[RetroLounge]

Just found a copy in a box this week...

Breathtaking. No wonder he won the Pulitzer for it...

anyone else read this?

RL

[laststeamtrain]

1. Wright wrote many great poems. I return to him often.

I like this one a lot:
*

Lying in a Hammock at William Duffy's Farm in Pine Island, Minnesota

Over my head, I see the bronze butterfly,
Asleep on the black trunk,
blowing like a leaf in green shadow.
Down the ravine behind the empty house,
The cowbells follow one another
Into the distances of the afternoon.
To my right,
In a field of sunlight between two pines,
The droppings of last year's horses
Blaze up into golden stones.
I lean back, as the evening darkens and comes on.
A chicken hawk floats over, looking for home.
I have wasted my life.

James Wright
*

[RetroLounge]

2. That's real nice...

thanks...

and what's the story with your DU name? (I'm a huge foamer...)

RL

[laststeamtrain]

3. No, I'm not much of a foamer (I looked it up)...

I have a brother retired from SP who is though.

I've ridden the Empire Builder a few times & I think it's the West Coast Starlight(?) a few times also.

I was thinking of Ray Davies (Kinks) song :Last of the Steam Rollin'Trains when I chose my name.

Someone here mentioned that Leo Kottke has a song call Last Steam Train. That's cool with me.

I enjoy listening to odd radio broadcasts & online streams sometimes. Did you know there's a site that streams real time railroad dispatchers from across the US?

Let me know if you'd like the link & I'll find it among my bookmarks.

:hi: