Sunday, January 20, 2008

from David Budbill Jan 9, 2008:

Andy and the River Junction Poets,


A lovely, sweet, important, good email. Thanks for being there and doing what you do. Keep on keepin' on!


Although I've never been to your meetings and probably will always be a part of the 98% who never will be, I read your emails and am with you in spirit every time.


And speaking of Carl Sandburg, don't neglect the poems in BILLY SUNDAY AND OTHER POEMS. These are the unexpurgated and uncollected poems which remained unpublished because their language was too raw, their attitude and politics too outspoken. Poems on hucksters like Billy Sunday, poems about race and the abuse of the poor and women, poems of outrage and defiance. A terrific, very important and neglected body of work by our guy.


More at: http://www.amazon.com/Billy-Sunday-Other-Poems-Sandburg/dp/0156621444/ref=sr_1_35?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1199615730&sr=1-35


Your fellow poet and friend in the snowy north,


David




"There's no money in poetry,
but then again there's
no poetry in money."


Robert Graves


* * *


Driving Home At Night


Midnight. Outside the car it is
15 below. A foot of new snow.
The village is deserted, dark,
except for eight street lamps
and the light in the window
at Jerry's Garage that says:
BEER.


The smell of woodsmoke seeps
into the car.


Judevine, ugliest town
in northern Vermont, except
maybe East Judevine.
Disheveled, wretched, Judevine- -
my town- -is beautiful in the night.


It is beautiful because
its couple hundred souls
have given up their fears,
their poverty and worry.
For a few hours now they know
only the oblivion of sleep
and the town lies quiet
in their ease.




David Budbill
budbill@wildblue.net


"Driving Home At Night" by David Budbill, from Judevine. © Chelsea Green Publishing Company, 1999.

The 'lovely, sweet, important, good e-mail' he refers to is posted at our Meetup site.

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