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Janisse Ray's avatar

Happy June 14, and thank you for the poem, the Tuvan throat singers, the musings. What a beautiful career you've had. And I'm raising a toast to No Kings.

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Courtenay Budd's avatar

Thank you, Janisse. Yes--no to kings; no to authoritarianism. Yes to due process and co-equal branches of government and peaceful demonstration. Yes to fair elections, a free press, better dialogue, and truth. Yes to seeing the best in one another. Uncanny that this new poem from Rosemerry came in just as I was reading your comment. Makes me think of you:

Please

If you are one who has practice

meeting the pain of the world,

we need you. Right now we need you

to teach us it is possible to swallow

what is weighty and still be able to rise.

We need you to remind us we can

be furious and scared and near feral

over injustice and still thrill at the taste

of a strawberry, ripe and sweet,

can still meet a stranger and shake

their hand, believing in their humanness.

We need you to show us how

we, too, can fall into the darkest,

unplumbed pit and learn there

a courage and beauty

we could never learn from the light.

If you have drowned in sorrow

and still have somehow found

a way to breathe, please, lead us.

You are the one with the crumbs

we need, the ones we will use to find

our way back to the home of our hearts.

—Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer

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Janisse Ray's avatar

Incredible poem. I'm going to use it in courses. Thank you!!!

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Courtenay Budd's avatar

Thank YOU. <3

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David Landon's avatar

I sort of heard it in your essay and was worried.

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Courtenay Budd's avatar

The last thing I want to do is worry you, David! I will come sing for you when I'm there in July! Maybe a little poetry work too? I'd love that.

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David Landon's avatar

No final concert at Sewanee?

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Courtenay Budd's avatar

I will gladly sing for you, David! But let's go easy on that word "final," shall we? ;) I'll see you in a few weeks.

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