in other words
Spring and All
By the road to the contagious hospital
under the surge of the blue
mottled clouds driven from the
northeast-a cold wind. Beyond, the
waste of broad, muddy fields
brown with dried weeds, standing and fallen
By Lynn Berry
Guest Contributor Chris Sedlmeyer
Only a few days before I wrote
this, my driveway was covered in 4
inches of snow, and the schools in our
area were closed or delayed. Today the
sun shines across the tops of the long fir
trees, and the wind carries a promise of
spring whispered, as if a secret from a
friend. This stark change always reminds
me that spring, like most blessings,
always comes unexpected, no matter
how much we look for it. William Carlos
Williams’ poem, “Spring and All,”
challenges the stark images of winter’s
bleak, hopeless landscape with the subtle
sign of hope, “grass” (20), and “the stiff
curl of wildcarrot leaf” (21). The result
is a quiet affirmation of new life and
that the possibility of change always lies
buried in the midst of even the most dire
circumstances. It is the poet’s job to show
us that in life, as in nature, no season
stays.
patches of standing water
the scattering of tall trees
All along the road the reddish
purplish, forked, upstanding, twiggy
stuff of bushes and small trees
with dead, brown leaves under them
leafless vines-
Lifeless in appearance, sluggish
dazed spring approaches-
They enter the new world naked,
cold, uncertain of all
save that they enter. All about them
the cold, familiar wind-
Now the grass, tomorrow
the stiff curl of wildcarrot leaf
One by one objects are defined-
It quickens: clarity, outline of leaf
But now the stark dignity of
entrance-Still, the profound change
has come upon them: rooted, they
grip down and begin to awaken
----------William Carlos Williams
march13
2012
19
---Writer’s Idea: Use a particular natural
cycle, such as metamorphosis of a
caterpillar to a butterfly or the migration of
birds to describe an emotional cycle, like
grief.
---Writer’s Tip: Approach your poem from
its ugly side. Use contrasting images of
beauty and ugliness to create tension and
an unexpected perspective.
---Writer’s Idea: Write a piece that
describes your values--what makes you
happy, what gives your life purpose.
---Writer’s Tip: Try to change the look of
your poem and emphasize critical images
or statements by changing how the lines or
words are arranged on the page. No one
said a poem has to rhyme or be written in
blocks of lines, so experiment.
---We would love to publish your poems!!!!
Please send your submissions to, (or if you
would like a copy of any of the published
poems), InkwellVernonia@gmail.com
or by mail: PO Box 333 Vernonia, OR
97064. Please include your name and
contact information. Write--Express--
Expand.
Chris Sedlmeyer holds an M.A. in English,
specializing in archetypal criticism and medieval
spirituality. He has published an article in the
American Benedictine Review and is currently
at work on a new article examining the practice
of lectio divina in light of Carl Jung’s structure
of the psyche.
Impending Water
Rate Decision
continued from page 6
“All government, indeed every human
benefit and enjoyment, every virtue,
and every prudent act, is founded on
compromise and barter.”
~Edmund
Burke
Na
tu
ral
Path Health Ser
ces
vi
consume the least amount of water are
likely to pay less than 6% of the increase
required to balance our budget. The rest
of the cost of will unavoidably be borne
by those of us who use more water.
To me, the line graph tells the
whole story. Small users are clearly
paying more than their fair share now,
and will continue to do so no matter
what. Any of the new base rates being
considered by Council ($35 to $39)
would incrementally improve this system,
considering that we must raise more
money. The base rates being considered
will move us around within the 60-75%
“sweet spot” recommended by OAWU,
keeping us safe from a conservation
“death spiral.”
Each community eventually
must come up with its own “philosophy”
around rate setting. Currently, the Public
Works Committee and the City Council
are talking through these differences,
looking for the right compromise
philosophy for Vernonia. Feelings on both
sides are heartfelt and well argued. For
some, this process has been long, painful
and frustrating. For others, me included,
it has been an example of democracy
in action. Mr. Weimier, my high school
civics teacher used to say democracy was
all about making sausage. By the time
you get done compromising, it’s hard to
recognize what kind of meat you started
with. I suspect the outcome of our rate
setting will remind me of Mr. Weimier.
To me that would be a good thing.
Dr. Carol McIntyre
Naturopathic & Chinese Medicine
Phone (503) 429.2617
Kitchen Countertops
Fax (503) 429.0941
Fireplace & Furniture
ABSOLUTE@AGALIS.NET
Tubs & Vanities
www.absolutemarbleandgraniteinc.net
503.429.3928
cccmnd@yahoo.com
naturalpathhealthservices.com
786 Bridge Street
Vernonia, OR, 97064
