'Just being there'

 

“You don't need many words if you already know what you're talking about.” – William Stafford
 

Born on Jan. 17, 1914 Stafford taught poetry and writing at Lewis & Clark College for more than 30 years before his first poetry collection, Traveling Through the Dark, was published.      Winner of the National Book Award for that book, Stafford went on to publish more than 60 volumes of poetry and prose and win numerous honors and awards, including serving as U.S. Poet Laureate before his death in 1993.  For Saturday’s Poem, here is Stafford’s,

 

                                             Just Thinking

                             Got up on a cool morning. Leaned out a window.
                             No cloud, no wind. Air that flowers held
                             for awhile.  Some dove somewhere.

                            Been on probation most of my life.  And
                            the rest of my life been condemned.  So these moments
                            count for a lot -- peace, you know.

                            Let the bucket of memory down into the well,
                            bring it up. Cool, cool minutes.  No one
                            stirring, no plans.  Just being there.

                             This is what the whole thing is about.