the hundred grasses | poems by leila wilson

7/29/2019 The Hundred Grasses | Poems by Leila Wilson

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The hundred Grasses

ORDER NOW

Milkweed Editions

Te Hundred Grassesis distributed to the trade byPublishers Group West.

AmazonBarnes & Noble

Powells

IndieBound
http://www.milkweed.org/shop/product/312/the-hundred-grasses/http://www.amazon.com/The-Hundred-Grasses-Leila-Wilson/dp/1571314474http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-hundred-grasses-leila-wilson/1112833048%3Fean%3D9781571314475http://www.powells.com/biblio/62-9781571314475-0http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781571314475http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781571314475http://www.powells.com/biblio/62-9781571314475-0http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-hundred-grasses-leila-wilson/1112833048%3Fean%3D9781571314475http://www.amazon.com/The-Hundred-Grasses-Leila-Wilson/dp/1571314474http://www.milkweed.org/shop/product/312/the-hundred-grasses/


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, ext by Leil WilsonAll rights reserve. Except or brie quottions in criticl rticles or reviews, no prt o thisbook my be reprouce in ny mnner without prior written permission rom the publisher:Milkwee Eitions, Wshington Avenue South,

Suite , Minnepolis, Minnesot .() -

www.milkwee.org

Publishe by Milkwee EitionsPrinte in the Unite SttesCover esign by Hopkins/BumnnCover rt by Lewis Knuss

Author photo John W. Sisson, Jr.

First Edition

Milkwee Eitions, n inepenent nonprot publisher, grteully cknowleges sustiningsupport rom the Bush Fountion; the Ptrick n Aimee Butler Fountion; the DoughertyFmily Fountion; the Jerome Fountion; the Linquist & Vennum Fountion; theMcKnight Fountion; the voters o Minnesot through Minnesot Stte Arts BorOperting Support grnt, thnks to legisltive pproprition rom the rts n culturlheritge un; the Ntionl Enowment or the Arts; the rget Fountion; n othergenerous contributions rom ountions, corportions, n iniviuls. For ull listing o

Milkwee Eitions supporters, plese visit www.milkwee.org.

Librry o Congress Ctloging-in-Publiction Dt

Wilson, Leil.[Poems. Selections]

Te hunre grsses : poems / Leil Wilson. -- First eition.pges cm

ISBN ----I. itle.PS.IH

'.--c

Milkweed Editions is committed to ecological stewardship.We strive to lign our bookprouction prctices with this principle, n to reuce the impct o our opertions in

the environment. We re member o the Green Press Inititive, nonprot colition opublishers, mnucturers, n uthors working to protect the worls enngere orests nconserve nturl resources. Te Hundred Grassesws printe on ci-ree % postconsumer-

wste pper by Ewrs Brothers, Inc.


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In the four directions, broad plain on plain;

east wind shakes the hundred grasses.Estern Hn Dynsty, 25220 a.d.


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What Is the Field?

Te el is llewith wht we seewithout sleep.

Never completelyclose, it quickly eroeswhen tille beore rin.

I clogge with boulersit wont be rzen once burenecnnot quicken

uner ocks.

Te el revelsglint n holslening, pullstwist rom tutknots o bus.

We wtch the elor stirring, witor stems to springbck rom sprrows.


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We hope or swellin its mile sowe cn sy we swthe swy tht comesrom noticing.

Wter menersto pririe potholes,

throws corgrssinto switchbckss we push pstbrmble n scre whistling wheelo geese into ir.

Te el rws

hwks n sieso trins, crlespools rom storms

where ucks plumbor wter snils.

We trmple lightbetween us,no wy to lopein prting the swles.

We must ttento ll the spce


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with ll the rollingwrppe up in us.

Beore home,the gble brncross the rothrows the brightestrise weve ever seen

the el try on.

Te el is notin rows, is not e sw-songecroon. It pushes green mist bove mu,shows how we mke o.

We wonerwht were notin the el.

Wht scours, cuts,or knocks.I we coul styn still eel ullthe low line rouningout spreo subtle slope.


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8

Nether

Te equilibrium of any particular aspect of

nature rests on the equivalence of its opposites.

Piet Monrin

Some ln livesso wter cn comb

it into gris. Tisis why lowlns

tilt still towrthe se. Tis so

we cll our cnlleaning horse,

hat tempting wind,somewhere a tear

in linen wherethe loom bent

a heddle.We plntlpis in the mile


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o begoni boxeshung rom our

housebots sills.At night the eels

snug ginstour housebots hum,

wters wrm hem.We her them slip

itch into our oor.Our housebot lilts

when the bigger bots

slie us wves.

Our concrete ots.Were mostly moore

to sty. In the mpbnk where the ucks

hege wees,our bikes sleep.


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We len towr win.Our pnt legs thin

rom ll the rinon our knees.

From here the horizonguzes bove us.

We re hl hienby light. We re ols

in og. We stnopen on the eck

n beckon the silt

to settle. We wit

or blnce so grntht ny icker

o inverse coulpull us up to spires.


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11

Air Parts

I.

Whenever weightshits, hollowrouses in its pith.

Eggs ir. Doorhinge oiling or rin.Her hush s

the truck jolts.All mss enolsgps. All win

n ury when treelitters light throughher winow screen.

She wnts to knowhow shell go ownunrveling.


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II.

Teres nothinghllowein errys quke

beore it slipstowr sinking.Full o its lst

owne move,it will be holein the by.

It will hol irn blee perortions.

Ater being,

it will be pilereby those who wntemptiness to touch.


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III.

Outline by showor echo or tht

which hppens ter,

mosquitoes trceher with tremble.Her hn hols

of rin, herbeyon the hill.Her swllows

slmner groveskis in thin win.How her voice scrtches

rom clling nmes,how her neck strinspst strightening.


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IV.

Becuse the skycnt ll ll in,n ceremony

comes nowherener, she looksor something else

to pull her pulse.Blconie gsp.Bubble riing

the rivers leg.Crcks. Lesions.Mesh. She trps

the insie until it coresthere. She millsthe mile stillness.


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Character Architecture

Boies, beingbuilt rom

other boiesrent built

o light. Sowhen I see

showcrouching in

my builingscrux, its nturl

I thinktht it coul be

bchelor.I ont wnt

to be screinto going bck


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to the sme be.No one else hs

come to me likethis: hs sprung

my mins moth,opening

eye wings.I m rey or

room ethorneo chirs, where

I coul orge

my whole rerin

on open oor.Where I coul be

reme by bluesolier, shining in

the winows wy,spinling into plce.


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Lisp of Cloud

Te og, ock, thickenethe el. Steps

beret o steppings sty.So goes my trille

bones shiver, morerelese rom ln

thn river. My hol sip o snow

cught in crter.I m new to you

in this light. In touch, gren blon

with wnering wter.I m scttere in

this exhle I imgines ight. Not ust or ct,


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skin or wn. Tis worlskews wy,

limning. Brnchesboth show n spinning.


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Farnsworth House

My whole housemens tht I mystretch out long

lines o the river.Hinges hien,counter tut,ottomn lite

just bove the oor.Winows pull length,here the expnseo the thin white

roo horizontmping ownits open bones.

I love the mnwho wnte meseen by the erliestspecs o greencome spring.He wnte melening into


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the brightest sieo stone, constntow towr home.

I know this rivercovers n inner-quver, the quickshits o nimls

moving wy,mp smellhunching in holes.

It ctches coloro pin ok brk.It glres then wxes,wning me in

rees, blnchingme with light.

Shining crckin ln, my teunols longthese bnks: coolmrble plnesot me just bovethis mu n tintmy legs with glow, glue humbeneth my gown.


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All things bulgein throts n clots.Insie I ry;I lie supinen wtchor wters roilto nip the treest their wet stems.

Hes been goneor yers,n I her wormsthumb into the tugtowr river.

All the seepingn suction,

scles n brnchesslurring with rogs,their weight grzingthe len groun.

A rivet bythe rivers crook,I guge the wterstreks it shes.I sh, ever stbeneth my eet,slick the grsstht knows the win


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ginst its sies,then I, in mypock o ir willrie the currentree, hung here.


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Pocket Compass

I. North

Tt winterchilren born

in the bright room

by the townscught trin sw

pst the mp el

to know colorente in groun:

hel rost o owne corn


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II. South

Shllow crleo plm

A girl

blls up ronuntil she sees

the spin

in veins wountight beyon

ll rill


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III. Est

Geese glieover the t

school roo

Tey tell the boywho muses r

too much in clss

how gutter wterglems river

soon to ice


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IV. West

Openethe cve wll

shes shows

Where stonesbe glint

groun clutches

Here people stillwnt to sleep

n touch hns


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Leil Wilsonws born nrise in DeKlb, Illinois.She teches t the School

o the Art Institute nUniversity o Chicgo. Aormer eitor t ChicagoReview, she is the recipient o Friens o Literture Prizerom the Poetry Fountion.She lives with her husbnn son in Chicgo.


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ORDER NOW

Milkweed Editions

Powells

IndieBound

Te Hundred Grassesis distributed to the trade byP bli h G W t

AmazonBarnes & Noble

THE HUNDRED GRASSESLEILA WILSON
http://www.milkweed.org/shop/product/312/the-hundred-grasses/http://www.powells.com/biblio/62-9781571314475-0http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781571314475http://www.amazon.com/The-Hundred-Grasses-Leila-Wilson/dp/1571314474http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-hundred-grasses-leila-wilson/1112833048%3Fean%3D9781571314475http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-hundred-grasses-leila-wilson/1112833048%3Fean%3D9781571314475http://www.amazon.com/The-Hundred-Grasses-Leila-Wilson/dp/1571314474http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781571314475http://www.powells.com/biblio/62-9781571314475-0http://www.milkweed.org/shop/product/312/the-hundred-grasses/

the hundred grasses | poems by leila wilson

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