I’m off work this week, which means that by the time you read this I’ll be in the sweet liminal space of reading, thinking, being outside, and writing. I have so many thoughts—my draft posts are SO LONG—but they have to wait until I have some headspace.
I do not know Jessica Dore personally, but I’ve been reading her work for so long that her newsletters feel like deliveries from an old friend. Her recent offering reminded me to pull some Wendell Berry from my shelves this week; imagine my surprise when I saw that The Economist (The Economist?) recommended his work this week as well.
Find yourself a friend like my friend E, who gifted me the above booklet of poetry about East Central Illinois (SWOON) from 1976 (SWOON) by Alex Sawyer, who was 65 at the time of publication. It would take me all day to explain how I felt about receiving this love poetry, this testimony to a place I’ve now lived, by choice, for just shy of half my life.
Instead, here’s an excerpt from “Lamb’s Quarters”, found on page 22:
This is the season
For picking wild greens
And I walk around
In the country
in East Central Illinois
Searching for lamb’s quarters.
Last year they grew
In generous plenty
Along the north border of our garden.
Where will they choose to grow
This summer? Each year
They play a game
Of hide and seek with us.
They’re good eating and extremely easy foraging, depending where you are. Do not buy them at the farmers market if you’re in town; my yard can supply us all with lamb’s quarter.
Until next week…