Lamson Library

We Never Know by Yusef Komunyakaa

He danced with tall grass
for a moment, like he was swaying
with a woman. Our gun barrels
glowed white-hot.
When I got to him,
a blue halo
of flies had already claimed him.
I pulled the crumbed photograph
from his fingers.
There’s no other way
to say this: I fell in love.
The morning cleared again,
except for a distant mortar
& somewhere choppers taking off.
I slid the wallet into his pocket
& turned him over, so he wouldn’t be
kissing the ground.

This year, in reflecting on the fourth year of the nation’s current operations in Iraq, the Library is focusing its observance of National Poetry Month on the poetry of war. On display are select resources witnessing the tributes, grief, horror, and remembrances of generations of poets, from the Homeric era to our present day conflicts. In addition to print sources, more information and online access to poets and works can be found at these links below.

• Academy of American Poets
• Poets Against War
• The War Poetry Web Site
• International War Veterans Poetry Archives

academy of american poets, international war veterans poetry archives, lamson library, national poetry month, plymouth state university, poets against war, war poetry web site, plymouth state university

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• New student artwork on display in The Commons Cafe
• Investiture celebrations at Lamson Library
• Harlem Renaissance display at Lamson
• Edward Hopper at the MFA and the Library
• Lamson extends hours for Finals Week Spring 2007