Hello.
Thank you for coming out.
Thank you University of Arizona, thank you Poetry Center,
thank you Tyler, thank you Paola, thank you Aria,
thank you Melissa, who had a birthday yesterday.
Thank you Claire, who had a birthday today.
Thank you Stephane, for turning on my heat in the cottage.
Thank you students, who spent time with me today.
Thank you docents, for making this possible.
And thank you for community for coming out.
This is a beautiful experience and I hope you enjoy yourselves.
So I never do this.
I'm going to read something off my phone.
And the reason I'm doing this, it is because not my poem.
This is a poem by Galway Kinnell,
who was very dear to me.
And we mentioned him last night during the workshop.
So I have a good friend who's going through a time right now.
And this poem reminded me of him and I want to read this
and I don't know-- this is being streamed.
Maybe he's listening.
The poem is called "Wait" by Galway Kinnell.
And I want to dedicate this poem to my friend
but also to anyone here who's going through something.
"Wait, for now.
Distrust everything if you have to, but trust the hours.
Haven't they carried you everywhere up to now?
Personal events will become interesting again.
Hair will become interesting, pain will become interesting,
buds that open out of season will become interesting,
second hand gloves will become lovely again,
their memories are what give them the need for other hands.
The desolation of lovers is the same.
That enormous emptiness carved out of such tiny beings
as we are asks to be filled.
The need for the new love is faithfulness to the old.
Wait, don't go too early.
You're tired, but everyone's tired.
But no one is tired enough, only wait a little and listen.
Music of hair, music of pain, music of
looms weaving our loves again.
Be there to hear it.
It will be the only time, most of all,
to hear your whole existence, rehearsed by the sorrows,
play itself into total exhaustion."
That's Galway Kinnell.
Now I'll turn my phone off, as you all
should do, if you haven't done already.