I thought I'd take advantage of having this blog to introduce you to a poet I think you ought to know, but probably don't. His name is Don West, and at one time he had the second best-selling volume of poetry in American history, next to Whitman's "Leaves of Grass", even though even most English professors have never heard of him. He lived from 1906 to 1992. He was a professor, a civil rights activist, a labor union organizer, and a congregationalist minister. His house and barn were burned down by the KKK, and he was banned from teaching at colleges in Georgia, for standing up for the rights of African-Americans. When I was a little kid, he was my next-door neighbor, which is why I've heard of him.
This first poem was written in 1950. Don had gone to a poetry conference in San Antonio. He got pretty frustrated that a lot of the poems that were being read there were praising Gen. MacArthur as the "great Christian gentleman", and were ignoring the issues that everyday people were facing. In response, he wrote this poem. Enjoy!
Advice to the Would-Be Poets
Away with pious references
To patriotism and to prayer,
As the naked child is born
Let the truth lie cold and bare!
If there is a thing to tell
Make it brief and write it plain.
Words were meant to shed a light,
Not to cover up again!
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7 comments:
Ryan,
One day I was in Don West's back yard helping him to spread fertilizer. Don grew hollyhocks and grapes on the South side of St. Petersburg, Fl in the sub-tropical heat! I noticed that his grape leaves were covered with small black insects that I had never seen before so I asked him what they were. He came over and I can still see him in his old coveralls, shovel in his large calloused hands, stepping purposefully around his bee hives. After looking at them briefly he said, "There is nothing that grows on God's green earth that something doesn't come along eventually to try to destroy it or to eat it." He then remained quiet for the rest of the afternoon. He had a way of transforming into a mountain man again that made you respect his solitude and at the same time it would quiet your own spirit. I saw insects on grape leaves and he saw the truth. God's curse on the ground that he spoke to Adam was being acted out. Don was always passing along a life lesson. The truth in that simple statement has always stayed with me and I have seen it acted out in a myriad of ways. No matter how we wish to grow, "something will come along eventually to try to destroy it or to eat it." Grow anyways!
That's so cool that you knew him and now can share his poetry. Thanks for posting this.
Don West was one of the most incredible, godly men I have ever had the honor to know. He walked the walk. He marched for civil rights, and was imprisoned because of it. While there, he taught his fellow inmates, who were black, to read. He had a cross burned on his front lawn more than once, by the KKK. He started the heifer project which today is internationally known, and internationally successful. His list of accomplishments would take up more space than we have here, but the Don West we knew was incredibly humble. You could know him for years before ever knowing of his accomplishments. He dressed simply, lived modestly, and never stopped feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting those in prison...doing unto the least of these. In many ways, our pastor, Larry, reminds me of Don. Anyway, if you enjoyed this poem, you should read the rest of his works...I cry every time I do, as I am so moved. Oh, and...he adored Ryan :-)
Amazing, thanks for sharing, is his poetry still being published? could I find it at the local B&N?
Sadly not available at most B&N's...or any for that matter. Amazon.com does have a volume of his work available called "No Lonesome Road".
Jeremy,
Don West did not copyright his work! I recommend his volume "In a Land of Plenty" I think Ryan has my copy but if I find one I'll drop it by your parents home.
Mike
reformedmick,
that's right I have your copy. and you can pry it from my cold, dead fingers. how about those Magic?
The Poetic Gadfly
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