32 Comments
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Ernie Brill's avatar

I've loved your work for over twenty years. I used much of your work in my twenty plus years as a public high school teachr, especially one of your one page masterpieces - Scalpdance in both my creative writing , American lit And Brit lit ( using it with 1984). If you send me your email I will send you a copy of my first book o fpoetry. I'm78.

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camden noir's avatar

Gorgeous imagery

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Sherman Alexie's avatar

Thank you!

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Ernie Brill's avatar

sharp as an icepick. and I gotta hand it to you, bare none.

KEEEP GOING WITH YOUR GLOWING

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Sherman Alexie's avatar

Thank you, Ernie.

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Bruce Jones's avatar

Sounds like we were neighbors.

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Larry Jaffe's avatar

Brilliantly conveyed

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Sherman Alexie's avatar

Thank you, Larry.

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Theresa Griffin Kennedy's avatar

This is so evocative…lovely…

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Sherman Alexie's avatar

Thank you, Theresa.

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Sarah A. Cacioppo's avatar

❣️🫶🏼❣️

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Sherman Alexie's avatar

Thank you.

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J.'s avatar

Enjoyed the poem, Sherman. Thanks!

Some of the elders here were from families of 16-18 kids. Hand me down shoes if they were lucky. Otherwise bare feet. All over the country the poor farming kids told the same story: up at 4am to get the cows in. Put your cold bare feet into a series of fresh steaming " cowpats" (manure) to warm up. Do the milking. Run to school and join the queue at the hose off before you entered the classroom.

Ae, they built them tough back in the day!

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Sherman Alexie's avatar

In high school, there were farm boys who'd come to school in their work boots and shower in the locker room.

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Diana Armstrong's avatar

And what about the summers?

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Sherman Alexie's avatar

I've got rez boy poems for all seasons!

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Through A Crack in the Pavers's avatar

I feel it in my body. Thank you. Love the line 'we punched our legs/to warm the blood.' Strong image.

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Sherman Alexie's avatar

Thank you, Christine.

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Patris's avatar

So poignant, more so because this is still the reality for so many. Beautiful imagery.

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Sherman Alexie's avatar

Thank you!

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Jeffrey Lewis's avatar

I worked in construction for many years, I was younger

one job on Nantucket Island, north shore, on the water

it was very cold, with a lot of moisture in the air, wind driven cold

from every direction

seven layers of clothing starting with silk

I remember when my feet were numb and suddenly there would be a rush of warm blood to my toes

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Sherman Alexie's avatar

That brutal cold!

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michellefromchicago's avatar

Powerful -- especially the last line.

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Sherman Alexie's avatar

Thank you!

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Laura McKenna's avatar

Sherman, this is lovely!

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Sherman Alexie's avatar

Thank you, Laura!

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Deborah Copaken's avatar

Beautiful.

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Sherman Alexie's avatar

Thank you, Deborah. So happy you’re here. Shutterbabe was such an intense adventurous book!

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Deborah Copaken's avatar

Thank YOU! Glad to find you and your work here.

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John Jordan's avatar

That last line... wow.

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Sherman Alexie's avatar

Thank you, John.

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