Richard Shelton
- on December nights
when the rain we needed months ago
is still far off and the wind
gropes through the desert
in search of any tree to hold it
- those who live here all year round
listen to the irresistible
voice of loneliness
and want only to be left alone
- local knowledge is to live in a place
and know the place
however barren
- some kinds of damage
provide their own defense
and we who stay in the ruins
are secure against enemies and friends
- if you should see one of us
in the distance as your caravan passes
and if he is ragged and gesturing
do not be mistaken
- he is not gesturing for rescue
he is shouting go away
From Selected Poems 1969 - 1981 by Richard Shelton, © 1982 Richard Shelton. All rights are controlled by the University of Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, PA 15260. Used by permission of the University of Pittsburgh Press.
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