For a Living: The Poetry of Work Book

The used copy I'd ordered arrived in the morning mail -- wanted it in connection with a musing/essay I'm writing on "the work of hands the work of writing the work of making books." Hadn't a clue about the contents, now find I haven't been able to tear myself away from it. Terrific number of terrific poets, many whose work I hadn't read before, and will now track down to read more; many others whose work I had read some of but will now return to having seen this insight into their work; and others whose work I admire but had not come across in the context or writing about "work." One read so far I was moved by all over again -- and in homage to her, because it's not long but it stays a long time after reading it: Tess Gallagher's "I Stop Writing the Poem" --

I Stop Writing the Poem

to fold the clothes. No matter who lives
or who dies, I'm still a woman
I'll always have plenty to do.
I bring the arms of his shirt
together. Nothing can stop
our tenderness. I'll get back
to the poem. I'll get back to being
a woman. But for now
there's a shirt, a giant shirt
in my hands, and somewhere a small girl
standing next to her mother
watching to see how it's done.

I highly recommend the collection -- it will be a companion as I write the essay, and beyond.

Odd to return to this site today, when I'd decided this morning to begin writing every day about one of the books I have: a book a day. Might not finish reading it, but it would be taken from the shelf, given time and attention and my comments, a kind of conversation with it. I had thought 365 days of books, but now may emulate Scheherazade, my favorite storyteller, and aim for 1,001. Will enter brief comments here, longer think-pieces in my private notebooks.