How To Be A Poet by Wendell Berry

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(to remind myself)

Make a place to sit down.
Sit down. Be quiet.
You must depend upon
affection, reading, knowledge,
skill—more of each
than you have—inspiration,
work, growing older, patience,
for patience joins time
to eternity. Any readers
who like your work,
doubt their judgment.

Breathe with unconditional breath
the unconditioned air.
Shun electric wire.
Communicate slowly. Live
a three-dimensioned life;
stay away from screens.
Stay away from anything
that obscures the place it is in.
There are no unsacred places;
there are only sacred places
and desecrated places.

Accept what comes from silence.
Make the best you can of it.
Of the little words that come
out of the silence, like prayers
prayed back to the one who prays,
make a poem that does not disturb
the silence from which it came.


please note: photo by wicked nox

Comments

  1. AnonymousNovember 10, 2008 at 7:15 AM

    Silence is a lover
    never
    to betray your love.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousNovember 10, 2008 at 10:06 AM

    The little words that come out of the silence like prayers

    YES.

    ReplyDelete
  3. LydiaNovember 14, 2008 at 2:23 AM

    Silence + me = old friends

    I am going to print off this piece by Berry. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete

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Hey, thanks for your thoughts and your time:>)

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