What Comes Down to Us: 25 Contemporary Kentucky Poets Book

Foreword Ed McClanahan McClanahan, Ed

Introduction 1

The Man Born to Farming Wendell Berry Berry, Wendell 10

Burley Coulter's Song for Kate Helen Branch Wendell Berry Berry, Wendell 11

Rising Wendell Berry Berry, Wendell 12

Come Forth Wendell Berry Berry, Wendell 16

Her First Calf Wendell Berry Berry, Wendell 17

To the Unseeable Animal Wendell Berry Berry, Wendell 18

The Peace of Wild Things Wendell Berry Berry, Wendell 19

From Sabbaths 2003: III Look Out Wendell Berry Berry, Wendell 20

Three Elegiac Poems Wendell Berry Berry, Wendell 22

Testament Wendell Berry Berry, Wendell 25

From Sabbaths 2003: VI Wendell Berry Berry, Wendell 28

Item One in a General Theory of Things James Baker Hall Hall, James Baker 32

It Felt So Good but Many Times I Cried James Baker Hall Hall, James Baker 33

The Buffalo James Baker Hall Hall, James Baker 35

Welcoming the Season's First Insects James Baker Hall Hall, James Baker 37

Ridge Owl Black Dog James Baker Hall Hall, James Baker 38

For Mary Ann James Baker Hall Hall, James Baker 42

A Garden in Kentucky Jane Gentry Gentry, Jane 46

Taking the Train from Maysville to New York Jane Gentry Gentry, Jane 47

Hunting for a Christmas Tree after Dark Jane Gentry Gentry, Jane 49

Penelope's Night Out Jane Gentry Gentry, Jane 51

Their Bed Jane Gentry Gentry, Jane 52

In the Moment of My Death: For My Father Jane Gentry Gentry, Jane 53

On Whapping My Index Finger with a Roofing Hammer Richard Taylor Taylor, Richard 56

Imagining My Own Death Richard Taylor Taylor, Richard 58

Water Hauling on Sunday Morning Richard Taylor Taylor, Richard 59

The Lava Beds at Pompeii Richard Taylor Taylor, Richard 60

AnInner Tour of Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill, Kentucky Richard Taylor Taylor, Richard 62

Notes for a Manual on Form Richard Taylor Taylor, Richard 64

Anne Waters, December 28, 1842 Joe Survant Survant, Joe 67

Anne Waters, December 21, 1862 Joe Survant Survant, Joe 69

Alpheus Waters, February 20, 1863 Joe Survant Survant, Joe 71

Alpheus Waters, July 13, 1882 Joe Survant Survant, Joe 73

Anne Waters, September 7, 1882 Joe Survant Survant, Joe 75

At the Camp Meeting Joe Survant Survant, Joe 77

The Ideal Reader Jonathan Greene Greene, Jonathan 82

Mao Jonathan Greene Greene, Jonathan 83

Scarecrow Poems Jonathan Greene Greene, Jonathan 84

Recollections of Bass Rhythms of Hip-Hop Heard from a Distant Van Jonathan Greene Greene, Jonathan 85

Waiting Jonathan Greene Greene, Jonathan 86

With My Father outside the West Wing of Hospice Vivian Shipley Shipley, Vivian 89

First Ice Vivian Shipley Shipley, Vivian 90

Corner of Bellefonte and Heather Way, Lexington, Kentucky Vivian Shipley Shipley, Vivian 92

Coma: Bachus Hospital, Norwich, Connecticut Vivian Shipley Shipley, Vivian 94

Menace from Space Philip St. Clair St. Clair, Philip 98

Last Night Philip St. Clair St. Clair, Philip 100

Society Philip St. Clair St. Clair, Philip 102

Into the Wires Philip St. Clair St. Clair, Philip 103

Sleeping with Two Women Jeff Worley Worley, Jeff 107

Playing Possum Jeff Worley Worley, Jeff 109

His Funeral Jeff Worley Worley, Jeff 111

On My Deathbed Jeff Worley Worley, Jeff 113

Hey Nineteen Jeffrey Skinner Skinner, Jeffrey 118

Uncle Joe Jeffrey Skinner Skinner, Jeffrey 120

The School of Continuing Education Jeffrey Skinner Skinner, Jeffrey 121

Prodigal Jeffrey Skinner Skinner, Jeffrey 123

Hard Labor Jeffrey Skinner Skinner, Jeffrey 125

My Grandfather in Search of Moonshine George Ella Lyon Lyon, George Ella 128

Mother's Day at the Air Force Museum George Ella Lyon Lyon, George Ella 130

Salvation George Ella Lyon Lyon, George Ella 133

Catechisms George Ella Lyon Lyon, George Ella 134

Wedding Album Leatha Kendrick Kendrick, Leatha 137

Refusing a Spinal Leatha Kendrick Kendrick, Leatha 138

Second Opinion Leatha Kendrick Kendrick, Leatha 140

Costume. Fakery. The Sell Leatha Kendrick Kendrick, Leatha 141

In Passing Leatha Kendrick Kendrick, Leatha 142

Hold on Me Max Garland Garland, Max 146

Requiem for a Boom Town Max Garland Garland, Max 148

The Termite Confessions Max Garland Garland, Max 149

For a Johnson County Snowfall Max Garland Garland, Max 151

Aliens Are Intercepting My Brain Waves Marcia Hurlow Hurlow, Marcia 155

Margin of Loss Marcia Hurlow Hurlow, Marcia 157

The Pantheist Who Loved His Wife Marcia Hurlow Hurlow, Marcia 159

The Sisterhood Marcia Hurlow Hurlow, Marcia 160

The Music of the Spiders Marcia Hurlow Hurlow, Marcia 162

Heron Frederick Smock Smock, Frederick 165

Homeward Frederick Smock Smock, Frederick 166

Poem for Cassius Clay Frederick Smock Smock, Frederick 167

On the Gold Medal That Lies at the Bottom of the Ohio River Frederick Smock Smock, Frederick 168

My Parents When They Were Young Aleda Shirley Shirley, Aleda 172

One Summer Night Aleda Shirley Shirley, Aleda 174

Hostage to Fortune Aleda Shirley Shirley, Aleda 176

The Star's Etruscan Argument Aleda Shirley Shirley, Aleda 178

Sickle Billed Hummingbird Sarah Gorham Gorham, Sarah 182

Late Evening Love Poem Sarah Gorham Gorham, Sarah 184

Honeymoon, Pleasant Hill Sarah Gorham Gorham, Sarah 186

I Go Back Sarah Gorham Gorham, Sarah 187

Visiting the Site of One of the First Churches My Grandfather Pastored Tony Crunk Crunk, Tony 190

Souvenirs Tony Crunk Crunk, Tony 191

Elders Tony Crunk Crunk, Tony 193

After Visiting Home for Christmas Tony Crunk Crunk, Tony 196

Sex Nikky Finney Finney, Nikky 199

Black Orion Nikky Finney Finney, Nikky 202

The New Cotton Nikky Finney Finney, Nikky 206

The Making of Paper Nikky Finney Finney, Nikky 208

Feature Race Don Boes Boes, Don 213

Paving Kentucky Don Boes Boes, Don 214

Reunion Don Boes Boes, Don 215

For Charles Mingus (1922-1979) Don Boes Boes, Don 217

Optometrist's Visit Kathleen Driskell Driskell, Kathleen 220

Why I Mother You the Way I Do Kathleen Driskell Driskell, Kathleen 222

With a Shiner, My Husband Enters the Flower Shop Kathleen Driskell Driskell, Kathleen 223

To the Outdoor Wedding Kathleen Driskell Driskell, Kathleen 226

God's House Frank X. Walker Walker, Frank X. 230

Promises Frank X. Walker Walker, Frank X. 232

Revisionist History Frank X. Walker Walker, Frank X. 233

Praise Song Frank X. Walker Walker, Frank X. 234

Beacon Frank X. Walker Walker, Frank X. 236

Last Words Frank X. Walker Walker, Frank X. 238

And Mathew Brady Photographing It All Lynnell Edwards Edwards, Lynnell 241

The Baby Plays Monopoly Lynnell Edwards Edwards, Lynnell 242

All I Know about Love Lynnell Edwards Edwards, Lynnell 244

For You, October's Boy Lynnell Edwards Edwards, Lynnell 246

Sleeping in the Wilderness Maurice Manning Manning, Maurice 249

"D. Boon Kilt Bar on This Tree, 1760" Maurice Manning Manning, Maurice 250

Wabete's Season Maurice Manning Manning, Maurice 251

The Pleasure of Stasis Maurice Manning Manning, Maurice 252

Envoy Maurice Manning Manning, Maurice 253

Tours Davis McCombs McCombs, Davis 256

Dismantling the Cave Gate Davis McCombs McCombs, Davis 257

Stephen Bishop's Grave Davis McCombs McCombs, Davis 258

Cave Mummies Davis McCombs McCombs, Davis 259

Poem Credits 261

Photo Credits 265

Index of Titles and First Lines 267