I remember Galway as a man of action, conviction, and kindness. Some years ago I had spoken to him about our mutual poet friend Hayden Carruth, and Hayden never receiving the recognition that he deserved as one of the truly great Vermont poets. I had suggested that Hayden should be recognized as a state poet laureate, but the state wouldn’t offer that recognition. Galway quietly said, “Let’s see what we can do.”
Several months later, with some phone calls, he arranged for Hayden Carruth to be nominated as an Honorary State Poet Laureate, to receive a financial award, and set up a series readings around the state. The Vermont State House was filled with poets and people who loved poetry The best part was seeing Hayden center stage at the State House of Vermont and Galway at his side. The two people who loved poetry the most that day were sitting on the dais. It was a joy for me to perform for them. At the end of the day, Galway and I shook hands, and I said, “Thank you for all of this.” And with a kind smile he said, “Thank you.” That is the graciousness of Galway that I cherish.
I deeply admired how Galway would reach out and care for his friends like Hayden and many others. And, also, I always value the rich personal and immediacy of Galway’s poetry. His poetry is alive and speaks of the profoundly human condition and the world around us.
In the poem “Waking”
What has just happened between the lovers,
who lie now in love-sleep under the memory
of owls calling in the deeper love-sleep of the woods—
call exhaled, answer inhaled, call exhaled,
answer inhaled, back and forth, and so on,
until one, calling faster, overtakes the other
and the tow suddenly whoo together in a single
shimmering harmonic – is called “Lovemaking.”….
Read Galway’s poetry, his spirit and presence is vibrant and still with us.
Namaya
October 30, 2014
