299. Exile's Letter

By Ezra Pound

  From the Chinese of Li Po, usually considered the greatest poet of China: written by him while in exile about 760 A. D., to the Hereditary War-Councillor of Sho, "recollecting former companionship."

SO-KIN of Rakuho, ancient friend, I now remember   
That you built me a special tavern,   
By the south side of the bridge at Ten-Shin.   
With yellow gold and white jewels   
                    we paid for the songs and laughter,            5
And we were drunk for month after month,   
                    forgetting the kings and princes.   
Intelligent men came drifting in, from the sea   
                    and from the west border,   
And with them, and with you especially,            10
                    there was nothing at cross-purpose;   
And they made nothing of sea-crossing   
                    or of mountain-crossing,   
If only they could be of that fellowship.   
And we all spoke out our hearts and minds ...            15
                    and without regret.   
And then I was sent off to South Wei,   
                    smothered in laurel groves,   
And you to the north of Raku-hoku,   
Till we had nothing but thoughts and memories between us.            20
And when separation had come to its worst   
We met, and travelled together into Sen-Go   
Through all the thirty-six folds of the turning and twisting waters;   
Into a valley of a thousand bright flowers ...   
                    that was the first valley,            25
And on into ten thousand valleys   
                    full of voices and pine-winds.   
With silver harness and reins of gold,   
                    prostrating themselves on the ground,   
Out came the East-of-Kan foreman and his company;            30
And there came also the "True-man" of Shi-yo to meet me,   
Playing on a jewelled mouth-organ.   
In the storied houses of San-Ko they gave us   
                    more Sennin music;   
Many instruments, like the sound of young phoenix broods.            35
And the foreman of Kan-Chu, drunk,   
Danced because his long sleeves   
Wouldn't keep still, with that music playing.   
And I, wrapped in brocade, went to sleep with my head on his lap,   
And my spirit so high that it was all over the heavens.            40

And before the end of the day we were scattered like stars or rain.   
I had to be off to So, far away over the waters,   
You back to your river-bridge.   
And your father, who was brave as a leopard,   
Was governor in Hei Shu and put down the barbarian rabble.            45
And one May he had you send for me, despite the long distance;   
And what with broken wheels and so on, I won't say it wasn't hard going ...   
Over roads twisted like sheep's guts.   
And I was still going, late in the year,   
                    in the cutting wind from the north,            50
And thinking how little you cared for the cost ...   
                    and you caring enough to pay it.   
Then what a reception!   
Red jade cups, food well set, on a blue jewelled table;   
And I was drunk, and had no thought of returning;            55
And you would walk out with me to the western corner of the castle,   
To the dynastic temple, with the water about it clear as blue jade,   
With boats floating, and the sound of mouth-organs and drums,   
With ripples like dragon-scales going grass-green on the water,   
Pleasure lasting, with courtezans going and coming without hindrance,            60
With the willow-flakes falling like snow,   
And the vermilioned girls getting drunk about sunset,   
And the waters a hundred feet deep reflecting green eyebrows--   
Eyebrows painted green are a fine sight in young moonlight,   
Gracefully painted--and the girls singing back at each other,            65
Dancing in transparent brocade,   
And the wind lifting the song, and interrupting it,   
Tossing it up under the clouds.   

                    And all this comes to an end,   
And is not again to be met with.            70
I went up to the court for examination,   
Tried Layu's luck, offered the Choyu song,   
And got no promotion,   
And went back to the East Mountains white-headed.   

And once again we met, later, at the South Bridge head.            75
And then the crowd broke up--you went north to San palace.   
And if you ask how I regret that parting?   
It is like the flowers falling at spring's end,   
                    confused, whirled in a tangle.   
What is the use of talking! And there is no end of talking--            80
There is no end of things in the heart.   

I call in the boy,   
Have him sit on his knees to write and seal this,   
And I send it a thousand miles, thinking.

song by michael gira
music by swans

i (1983pulsmann) made this film by train
on my i travel by fredericia and aarhus

September 18, 2010 from noon to 6 pm at Echo Valley Farm (www.echovalleyfarmwisconsin.com), sponsored by Echo Valley Hope (www.echovalleyhope.org).

We welcome Makere Ruka Te Korako (www.waitaha.org), one of the remaining bloodline grandmothers of her tribal group of the ancient Waitaha people of New Zealand, and look forward to the Dances of Universal Peace (www.dancesofuniversalpeace.org). Anna Stange (www.annastange.com) will play folk music.

This event is free and your donations allow Echo Valley Hope to continue its amazing line-up of events and classes. Visit http://www.echovalleyfarmwisconsin.com/directions.html for directions to Echo Valley.

No dogs, drugs, or alcohol permitted.

Thanks very much, Melody Morrell

Kickapoo Homeschool Cooperative (KHC) will be holding an information meeting about membership and the fall programs on Tuesday, August 24th at 7pm. We will be meeting at 234 S. Center Ave., Viroqua (the Whited-Ford’s home)

This fall marks the fourth year the cooperative has been offering programs for homeschooling families. Each year the programs that the cooperative sponsors change, reflecting the needs and desires of the cooperative’s membership, The main programs that will be offered this year is, “Laughing River”, a day of enrichment classes for grade school children. Starting in September, Laughing River will meet on Tuesdays at the Good Shepherd Church in Viroqua. Fieldtrips and workshops will also be scheduled through out the year.

Please join us on Tuesday, 24th of August to learn more about the KHC and how your family can become involved. If you would like more information about the meeting or are unable to make the meeting, but are interested in the KHC please contact Lisa at 632-0482 or Jennifer at 625-4102. Or we can be reached through email; info@kickhome.org. or visit our website;

kickhome.org

Design work on the new Gays Mills Community Commerce Center, including the shared-use commercial kitchen we have been working for, will begin this week.

Two of us from the Kickapoo Kitchen Project, Russell Gilbert and I, have been appointed to the committee that will design the center, which will also contain a new library, village offices and a new meeting hall.

You can help us influence the kitchen design. Think of it this way . . . think about you could do in a $200,000 kitchen if it only cost you $15 an hour to use.

If you have you zeroed in on any special needs -- for acidifying, baking, bottling, catering, chopping, cooking, dehydrating, distributing, freezing, labeling, licensing, packing, prepping, registering, storing, selling, or shipping a food product since last we communicated -- let us know.

A lot of money will be spent on this project. If it's design does not meet your needs, a lot of money could be wasted.

Brad