Ask me: 100 essential poems

Preface / by Kim Stafford

A story that could be true

Fifteen

Vocation

Ask me

The way it is

A message from the wanderer

Traveling through the dark

Mein Kampf

You reading this, be ready

Security

Thinking for Berky

Why I am happy

A ritual to read to each other

Serving with Gideon

Easter morning

Assurance

Our story

The little ways that encourage good fortune

A gesture toward an unfound Renaissance

Saint Matthew and all

A dedication

Learning

Objector

At the un-national monument along the Canadian border

For the unknown enemy

At the bomb testing site

These mornings

Distractions

Watching the jet planes dive

Poetry

The star in the hills

Peace walk

Explaining the big one

Entering history

"Shall we have that singing

"

In the night desert

The concealment : Ishi, the last wild Indian

Bess

American Gothic

Report to Crazy Horse

For my young friends who are afraid

Listening

Clash

Our kind

Aunt Mabel

At the grave of my brother : bomber pilot

A catechism

Circle of breath

A memorial : son Bret

A family turn

Ruby was her name

With Kit, age 7, at the beach

Passing remark

Once in the 40s

One home

Prairie town

Ceremony

The farm on the Great Plains

One evening

In the Oregon country

At the Klamath berry festival

Looking for gold

An Oregon message

Earth dweller

Spirit of place : great blue heron

The fish counter at Bonneville

Witness

Bi-focal

Across Kansas

Malheur before dawn

Starting with little things

Mr. Conscience

The well rising

Climbing along the river

Roll call

Things I learned last week

Ode to garlic

Reading with little sister : a recollection

Just thinking

Any morning

First grade

Freedom

When I met my muse

You and art

The animal that drank up sound

Keeping a journal

Indian caves in the dry country

Burning a book

Growing up

A farewell, age ten

Artist, come home

An archival print

Why I am a poet

Run before dawn

The last class

Looking across the river

Father and son

Choosing a dog

"Are you Mr. William Stafford?"

Smoke.