A few years ago, when I was a bookseller at The Galaxy in Hardwick, I was reading a book of poetry, Winter Ready, when the poet himself called to order a book for a relative. The book was a gift for a child, and in his polite way, he took great care with the order.
The poet, Leland Kinsey, crossed over into the world beyond last night, no longer part of this slowly-golding-to-autumn realm where the rest of us around here still dwell.
Leland Kinsey, premier among Vermont writers, exquisitely gifted, a man who wrote of the myriad ways the earth giveth – and the earth taketh.
Here’s his lines…
…. His mother’s pickles, whose recipe
he thought would, perhaps should,
die with him. A crock in a cool place
that holds enough for a year.
The ripe smell when fishing
The doubly ripe pieces out.
All this is your heritage now,
as it is preserved here,
make of it what you will.
Leland Kinsey, “An Old Man’s Recipe for Tongue Pickles” in Galvanized
September, 2016, Vermont
Ah. Lovely. And of course we are drawn to each other — bookseller recognition! Even though my store does not have much charm, I never tire of seeing the books. The day it’s not enough (if I can afford it!) I’m done.
I confess to being challenged by poetry – it’s rarely my go-to so sweet discoveries like this are a gift. Thank you.