Tracy K. Smith, Conversation, 6 February 2019

Tracy K. Smith in conversation with Joy Harjo.

[@BUKCOLLECTOR]

Love your poems and interview. I’m a poet specializing in Japanese format poems-especially haiku senryu haibun and kyoka. But I am also a fictional story writer and I would like to share 2 short fictionalized stories I wrote in tribute to my Indian spiritual Master since 1963: Meher Baba. Both are based on a true incident as related by one of Baba’s close mandali. ( disciples). I know that you and your legion of poetry fans and readership will enjoy. THE BOY WHO TALKED TO TREES There was once a boy named Adi -an only child -whose family was born in India but relocated in the mid-1960s to the United States where opportunities for financial success were better and because the war and conflict between India and Iran was escalating, especially around the border of the region of Kashmir where his family lived. In India, Adi’s parents owned a groove of Apple and Cherry Orchards on ten acres of farmland that yielded an abundance of fruit every summer that they sold to surrounding neighbors and local fruit and vegetable vendors and markets. The winter months hardly yielded fruit because most years the cold weather damaged or destroyed the blossoms on the trees. Adi and his parents were very spiritual and believed in a Master named Meher Baba who instilled in them a love for all people-no matter what race, creed or color. When they arrived in America, they bought a house in South Carolina on the outskirts of town where the homes were spaced farther apart and where there were other farmlands and farmers that grew various fruit and vegetable crops. Adi was enrolled in the nearby Middle School. He was very intelligent but because of his looks, small size and accent, it was difficult for him to make friends. And his behavior was unusual. While walking to school, he had a habit of talking to the trees he passed along the way and again after school on his way home. “I love you tree and hope you are well and yield an abundance of fruits for your owners.” And to the smaller ones, “I pray that you grow to be big and strong” Then he would hug them. When other students heard about Adi’s weird behavior they enjoyed playing pranks. For instance, one day as Adi was approaching a tree, some classmates hid behind it and as soon as Adi uttered “I love you” he heard voices respond “ I love you too” and when Adi turned around his classmates had run away laughing. When the school year ended in early winter, a bitter cold and frost descended upon the area where Adi’s family resided. Adi wrote Baba a letter asking if he would keep his orchard safe from the winter cold. Almost immediately they received a letter from Baba that told the family to go to each and every tree in his orchard and speak to them, saying: “So you, my crop, are not allowed to freeze. I beg of you trees to bear fruit in abundance. The frost and winter should not destroy my crops.” Later that year, when the crop was harvested, even though the surrounding orchards had been severely damaged or destroyed due to the harsh winter frost, Adi’s grove gave an unprecedented yield - much to the farmers amazement. Soon thereafter, Adi’s classmates whose crops were destroyed walked to Adi’s home and asked if his family would forgive them. “ Of course,” replied Adi and invited them into his home where they met his parents who said “yes, tell your families they can purchase as much as they like. Because of our prayers, the Lord has blessed us with an abundance of apples and cherries and we would love to share our good fortune” Everyone was happy and shook hands and hugged each other and hopefully learned an important lesson in kindness and caring that day: sincere prayers are always answered-even when praying to trees or flowers or apple and cherry orchards. -Al Fogel ELOISE, EDNA & THE CHICKEN COOP There was once a young Black lady named Eloise who in the 1950s inherited from her grandmother a parcel of land in the suburbs of Compton, California at a time when there was strong racial prejudice against women of color-especially those Black women who owned property in predominately white neighborhoods. It happened there lived adjacent to Eloise’s land a white woman named Edna who did not like the fact that a Black lady owned land next to hers. Eloise would try to be friendly because she believed Jesus when He said “Love Thy Neighbor” and to Eloise that meant even if your neighbor was unfriendly. But whenever Eloise saw Edna, Edna would turn her back and ignore her and go about her business. In fact, ever since Edna’s husband died a decade ago, she became mean and unfriendly to everyone in the neighborhood. But to Eloise, she was especially hateful and full of animosity so much so that at night when all the lights in Eloise home were off, Edna went to her own backyard where she kept her chicken coop and gathered up all the manure and dumped it on Eloise land and upon her tomatoes and her greens and everything she was growing, in an attempt to destroy it. And when Eloise realized the next morning that there was all this manure, instead of becoming angry, she decided to rake and mix it in with the soil and use it as fertilizer. Every night Edna would dump the manure from her chicken coop litter box on Eloise’s land and every morning Eloise would turn the manure over and mix it in with the soil. This went on for several weeks until one morning Eloise noticed there was no manure in her yard. One of the neighbors informed Eloise that Edna had fallen ill. But because Edna was so disliked because of her and unfriendly personality , no one came to see her. But when Eloise heard about Edna’s condition she picked the best flowers from her garden, walked to Edna’s house, knocked on her front door and when Edna saw Eloise she was in complete shock that this Black lady who she had been so cruel to, would be the only neighbor to visit and bring flowers. Edna was deeply moved by Eloise kindness. Then Eloise handed the flowers to Edna who uttered, “These are the most beautiful flowers I’ve ever seen! Where’d you get them?” Eloise replied, “Edna, I owe you a debt of gratitude; if it wasn’t for you, these flowers would not exist. It was you who helped me make them because when you were dumping in my yard, I decided to plant roses and use your manure as fertilizer.” This unexpected act of kindness opened the floodgate of Edna’s heart that had been closed for so long. “When I’m feeling better, I would love to have you over for tea,” Edna informed Eloise. “Thank you, “ Edna replied , assuring her she would come. And then added “ I will pray for your speedy recovery every night” And with those words Eloise departed. It’s amazing what can blossom from manure. There are some who allow manure to fall on them and do nothing. But then there are others-like Eloise -who “turn the other cheek” when abused or in this case “turn over the soil” to make something new like those beautiful red roses that opened a white woman’s heart. -Al Fogel

[@t.w.8174]

Beautiful illumination. Keep writing, brave one.

[@BUKCOLLECTOR]

@@t.w.8174 Thanks for taking the time to respond. Yes, I’ll continue to write when my muse calls me to. -All love in isolation from Miami Beach, Florida, Al