Poetry: The Promise
The Promise
- Larry Smith
My old friend Bill tells me
how he walks his block
to keep his legs moving.
Only now his face
so thin and frail
speaks an old pain.
“Young boys,” he says,
“are shooting at birds.”
Now Bill has known hunting
and battles and war,
yet this needless killing
brings tears to his eyes.
“I want you to do something.”
And I look up helpless in question.
“Take some of my money
and buy small bird books
I can put in their hands.”
And I promise yes.
Larry Smith is a professor emeritus at BGSU Firelands College and director of The Firelands Writing Center. A native of the Ohio River Valley, he now lives along the shores of Lake Erie. He is the author of eight books of poetry, four books of fiction,and two literary biographies. He and his wife Ann are two of the founders of the Converging Paths Meditation Center in Sandusky. See: Larry Smith’s Homepage.
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Hi Josh,
When living in Las Vegas I once rescued a beautiful bird of prey that was down in our yard.
Our Australian shepherds were keeping it in one place for me to rescue. I have a newspaper article about it and quite a story that relates to boys shooting birds.
Would you like to see it ?
Best to you and Lauren,
Darlene Armour
Hi Darlene,
Sure. When you get a chance send it over email, or drop it off at The Art Studio and we’ll check it out