#al purdy

[canadianpoetry]

Al Purdy, "I Think It Was Wednesday"

[old-scientist-shoes]

[manwalksintobar]

Say the Names // Al Purdy

— say the names say the names and listen to yourself an echo in the mountains Tulameen Tulameen say them like your soul was listening and overhearing and you dreamed you dreamed you were a river Tulameen Tulameen --not the flat borrowed imitations of foreign names not Briton Windsor Trenton but names that ride the wind Spillimacheen and Nahanni Kleena Kleene and Horsefly Illecillewaet and Whachamacallit Lillooet and Kluane Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump and the whole sky falling when the buffalo went down say them say them remember if you ever wander elsewhere "the North as a deed and forever" Kleena Kleene Nahanni Osoyoos and Similkameen say the names as if they were your soul lost among the mountains a soul you mislaid and found again rejoicing Tulameen Tulameen till the heart stops beating                 say the names

[puutterings]

in a workshop jammed with hypotheses

                                      at any rate what about God whose existence is not beyond doubt puttering around in a workshop jammed with hypotheses

                                    puttering around absentmindedly... searching for one-celled organisms

—

from “Dead March for Sergeant MacLeod” and “On First Looking into Avison’s ‘Neverness’,” respectively, in Al Purdy, Collected Poems of (1986) : 173 and 359 : link

Al Purdy (1918-2000) wikipedia : link  

[alpacafarmhand]

Golly and her new little buddy, Al Purdy. 

[gradycragg]

Visit Original Link

“Something is about to happen. Leaves are still. Two shores away, a man hammering in the sky...”

[nomorekyriarchy]

SAY THE NAMES -- say the names say the names and listen to yourself an echo in the mountains Tulameen Tulameen say them like your soul was listening and overhearing and you dreamed you dreamed you were a river and you were a river Tulameen Tulameen -- not the flat borrowed imitations of foreign names not Brighton Windsor Trenton but names that ride the wind Spillamacheen and Nahanni Kleena Kleene and Horsefly Illecillewaet and Whachamacallit Lillooet and Kluane Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump and the whole sky falling when the buffalo went down Similkameen and Nahanni say them say them remember if ever you wander elsewhere "the North as a deed and forever" Kleena Kleene Nahanni Osoyoos and Similkameen say the names as if they were your soul lost among the mountains a soul you mislaid and found again rejoicing Tulameen Tulameen till the heart stops beating say the names

Al Purdy

[canadianpoetry]

Al Purdy, "Potter"