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Chard deNiord
- University of Pittsburgh Press
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4 Chard deniord Chard deNiordistheauthorof NightMowing,SharpGoldenThorn, and AsleepintheFire.Heisanassociateprofessorof EnglishatProvidenceCollege anddirectsthelow-residencyMFAprograminpoetryatNewEngland College.HelivesinPutney,Vermont. 4 Chard deniord Raiding the Bees Iwentouttogatherhoneyfromthehivesinthesourwoodgrove. Putonmygarmentof honeybeeclothesandpackedthesmokerfull of burlap. Ithoughtof Samsononmywaytothegrove. Hishiveinsidethelioncarcass. Hiscurseof hairandholymuscle. IstaredattheriverwhenIarrivedtosteelmynerves. Littheragsuntiltheyburned,thenclosedthechimney. Ismokedthethresholdbarewithasteadycloud thatroseinsidethestoriedchambers. Crackedthesealof thesuper’sdomeandliftedframes of honeycombfromoutof thebox. Howmanycellsfilledtothetopandsealedwithwaxforwintermeals? Howmanyquartsof sourwoodnectardistilledtogold? Imadeaguessastheybuzzedaround. Nonumbersticksintheworkof hunger. To Hear and Hear Thehermitthrushissetforsix tosinghissong,asif itwere theendof theworldandhewasstirred bydusktosingthesamesweetsong againandagainintheunderstory, asif tosay,it’sneitherwords normeaningthatmattersintheend butthequalityof sound,asif we weredeafenedbythesunandneeded hissongasakeytounlockourears, tohearandhearandunderstand, toseeandsee,knowingthatthis onedayistheendfornow, whichitis,itis,heclaims,withasong justloudenoughtopiercethewoods untilthenightdescendslikeathousand veils,andthenjustone. [54.234.136.147] Project MUSE (2024-03-28 21:36 GMT) 4 Chard deniord Frog Mytongueleaptoutof mymouth whenIliedtoherandhoppedaway tothestreambelowthehouse. Mutethen,Istartedtowritethetruth. Mytongueturnedwildinthestream, forwhichIwasgladandunashamed. Ilistennowfrommyporchtothecomplexthings itsaysinthedistanceaboutmyheart. Howharditistotellthetruthinsidemymouth. Howmuchitneedstosinginthedark. Whales —ForHeatherMcHugh OnawhalewatchinMaineIsaw finbacksfeedingonmackerelatthemouth of PassamaquoddyBay. Iimaginedleviathansrisingtothesurface, thendisappearingbeneaththewaves untiltheyroseagainforair inadifferenthectare,spraying theseaingeysersfromoutof theholes inthebacksof theirheads,rolling withthewaveslikewavesthemselves. Andthentheyroseattwoo’clock, threeglassybacksthecolorof nightanddorsalfin. Withsuchsmalleyesandpowerfulheads, likescholarsdeepintheirAtlanticstacks, theymustthinkwithoutthemeans,Ithought, of gettingdowntheirthoughts, exceptonwater,writtenanderased beforethehumanreadercanmakeitout. Icouldfeeltheirheartsastheyascended andsuckedtheskyintotheirlungs andarcedagainforanotherdive. Didyousee?Didyousee? 4 Chard deniord Night Mowing Memoryisakindof accomplishment. —WiLLiaM CarLos WiLLiaMs Irememberthedroneof FrancisTemple’sFarmall mowinginthedarkof amid-Septembernight, itsdeep,desultoryblastswerealsoguttural, half motor,half cat,asitlaboredinthemeadow backandforth,fellinghayinsix-footrows withasicklebarthatrattledlikeasnake. Thememoryof thatmowinggrowsinmymind, whichisalsoafieldthat’sovergrown witheveryweedandtypeof grass,nolessreal thanthetractoritself mowinginthedark. Iwakewithastarttothesoundof thatengine, thesameoldFarmallIheardasaboy, sothatIamforeverwakingandremembering atthesametimetotheaccompanimentof atractor Icannotseeinthemeadow,butknowisthere, asitistonight,thirtyyearslater,growing newerinsteadof olderasittakesmeback initsmovingforwarddowntherowsof waisthighhaythatfalllikehairagainsttheearth . Through a Train Window Thereshewas,myoldgirlfriend, outsidemywindowinalate-model Mustangwithhernewboyfriend, keepingrightup.Nofartheraway thantwentyyards.Iwavedather withbothmyhandsfromtheotherside of thedarkenedglass.Shelaughed atsomethingandopenedthewindow. Suddenly,Irememberedthesweep of herhairacrossmyface,howit engulfedmeinherwithitslavenderscent andsomethingelse—aconsanguinity— [54.234.136.147] Project MUSE (2024-03-28 21:36 GMT) 4 Chard deniord withtheforceof earthIthoughtwasheaven. Howsimilarlyshehadriddeninmycar— avintageChevywithabrokenmuffler— tothewayshewasridingnow, overthere,laughingateverything, undoingherhair.Iregarded theboyfriendandwishedhimwell ashegrippedthewheelwithboth hishands,laughingatnothing,watching thehighwaythatcurvedaway. An Incident at the Catholic Worker Sittinginpeaceinthediningroom of thecountrycommunityhouseoneSundaymorning, readingthepaperaboutthelatesttruce inIsrael,Iheardadisturbanceinthelivingroom. Peoplewerescurryingandyelling,“Watchout, he’sgotaknife!”and“Putherdown!” ThenKenny,theepilepticfromHudsonValley, appearedatthedoorwithalittledoginonehand andacleaverintheother.Hesaidhewasgoing totakethedogupthehillandthrowherinthewell. Hesaidhewastiredof howthepeopleinthe“community” weretreatinghim,andhehadtokillthedog inordertochangetheirattitude.Hehad acrazedlookinhiseyewhilethedoghunglimp, Mrs.Smith’sterrier.Ifollowedhimupthehill whiletheothersprayedbelow.Isaid,“Kenny, whatgooddoyouthinkthiswilldo?They’llonlytake youbacktothehospital.”Thenitwasthereinterposed afitandhedroppedthedogbesidethewellandfell tothegroundandcuthimself withtheflailingblade. Isteppedonthehandthatheldtheknifeandwatched himtwistlikeasnakewithitsneckpinneddown. Hefrothedatthemouthandswallowedhistongue. Itriedtostickmyfingerinandpullitout butheclenchedhisteethinahumanvise. 4 Chard deniord withtheforceof earthIthoughtwasheaven. Howsimilarlyshehadriddeninmycar— avintageChevywithabrokenmuffler— tothewayshewasridingnow, overthere,laughingateverything, undoingherhair.Iregarded theboyfriendandwishedhimwell ashegrippedthewheelwithboth hishands,laughingatnothing,watching thehighwaythatcurvedaway. An Incident at the Catholic Worker Sittinginpeaceinthediningroom of thecountrycommunityhouseoneSundaymorning, readingthepaperaboutthelatesttruce inIsrael,Iheardadisturbanceinthelivingroom. Peoplewerescurryingandyelling,“Watchout, he’sgotaknife!”and“Putherdown!” ThenKenny,theepilepticfromHudsonValley, appearedatthedoorwithalittledoginonehand andacleaverintheother.Hesaidhewasgoing totakethedogupthehillandthrowherinthewell. Hesaidhewastiredof howthepeopleinthe“community” weretreatinghim,andhehadtokillthedog inordertochangetheirattitude.Hehad acrazedlookinhiseyewhilethedoghunglimp, Mrs.Smith’sterrier.Ifollowedhimupthehill whiletheothersprayedbelow.Isaid,“Kenny, whatgooddoyouthinkthiswilldo?They’llonlytake youbacktothehospital.”Thenitwasthereinterposed afitandhedroppedthedogbesidethewellandfell tothegroundandcuthimself withtheflailingblade. Isteppedonthehandthatheldtheknifeandwatched himtwistlikeasnakewithitsneckpinneddown. Hefrothedatthemouthandswallowedhistongue. Itriedtostickmyfingerinandpullitout butheclenchedhisteethinahumanvise. [54.234.136.147] Project MUSE (2024-03-28 21:36 GMT) 00 4 Chard deniord IthoughtinretrospectIcouldhavecutahole inhisthroatwiththeknifebuthewaswrithing totheend,turningblue.Iwatchedhisghost shutdownhisskin,thendisappearinsidethewell. Iheldhisbodyasasouvenirof thefallenworld andthoughtnolessof him.Thelittledogbegantobark fromtheedgeof thewoods.“Shutup!”Iyelled. “Shutup!”andalmostfeltwhatKennyfeltasheheld thedogabovethewellanddangleditliketheangrygod who’dcrossedawireinsidehishead.Itwashishatred forthelittledogthathadsethimoff,justitsyapping everynightinMrs.Smith’sadjacentroom.Hehadbeen treatedkindlybyeveryone,accordingtothewishes of oursaintlymother,DorothyDay,whohadalwayssaid, “Treateverystrangerasif heweretheChrist.” I See Them Now theinvisiblebodiesrising fromtheground.Howslowly theyliftthemselvesatfirst totheirelbows,asif theywere stillbodies,thensuddenly totheirknees,fasterandfaster, untiltheyfreethemselves fromtheearth,higherandhigher, theseblessedbodiesspeeding likearrowstowardahole inthesky,whichisthesky nowthattheyarerising, gaininganewoblivious knowledgeastheyrise of whatitmeanstoslipaway, tobeforgotten,tosay good-byewithouteversayingit, burningastheyrise,hotter andhotter,ontheonedropof fuel thatstayedinsidethem. 00 4 Chard deniord IthoughtinretrospectIcouldhavecutahole inhisthroatwiththeknifebuthewaswrithing totheend,turningblue.Iwatchedhisghost shutdownhisskin,thendisappearinsidethewell. Iheldhisbodyasasouvenirof thefallenworld andthoughtnolessof him.Thelittledogbegantobark fromtheedgeof thewoods.“Shutup!”Iyelled. “Shutup!”andalmostfeltwhatKennyfeltasheheld thedogabovethewellanddangleditliketheangrygod who’dcrossedawireinsidehishead.Itwashishatred forthelittledogthathadsethimoff,justitsyapping everynightinMrs.Smith’sadjacentroom.Hehadbeen treatedkindlybyeveryone,accordingtothewishes of oursaintlymother,DorothyDay,whohadalwayssaid, “Treateverystrangerasif heweretheChrist.” I See Them Now theinvisiblebodiesrising fromtheground.Howslowly theyliftthemselvesatfirst totheirelbows,asif theywere stillbodies,thensuddenly totheirknees,fasterandfaster, untiltheyfreethemselves fromtheearth,higherandhigher, theseblessedbodiesspeeding likearrowstowardahole inthesky,whichisthesky nowthattheyarerising, gaininganewoblivious knowledgeastheyrise of whatitmeanstoslipaway, tobeforgotten,tosay good-byewithouteversayingit, burningastheyrise,hotter andhotter,ontheonedropof fuel thatstayedinsidethem. ...