Wedneaday March 19 — the last full day of winter<\/p>\n
Jim Janda lived as a mystic pilgrim for most of his 74 years. He died August 7, 2010 in Salt Lake City, a priest of that diocese since 1996. Jim also lived for a quarter century as a Jesuit which is when we met. Jim was “well known for his gentle and generous heart. . . . During his life he wrote and published a series of short religious stories for children, school plays and books of poetry.” So reads his obituary in the Salt Lake Tribune. The obit is accurate, as was the stated cause of his death, emphysema; I think he smoked too much. I can’t remember ever visiting with Jim without feeling bathed in wisdom and tenderness, and in his awareness of how deep grief runs in human beings, right there along with whimsy.<\/p>\n
The Tribune’s evocation of “stories for children, school plays and books of poetry . . .” does not even hint at the flint-hard prose and fine tuned ironies that throb and flow through his poems. Today’s post comes from the 1970s when Jim lived on the Lakota Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. Like many of his poems, “The Town in March” is homey and close to the grass without flinching from pain.<\/p>\n
Jim Janda reminds me of Joy Harjo. I am glad I thought to pull his book off my poetry shelf on this last full day of winter.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
John sj
\nThe Town in March<\/p>\n
I.
\na wind smelling
\nof grass
\nand wet earth
\nwas coming
\noff the prairie
\nand blowing
\nthrough town<\/p>\n
you could hear
\nMr. Buffalo Robe
\nplaying marches
\non his piano
\nfrom the open door
\nof his shack<\/p>\n
Mrs. Big Dog
\nsitting on the
\nstoop of her trailer
\nwas squinting
\nin the sun<\/p>\n
kids were shouting
\nabout the dead
\nbadger they found<\/p>\n
II.
\nhe does not play
\nthe piano any more<\/p>\n
some men broke his
\nhand and arm
\nwhen he was drunk<\/p>\n
some men blinded
\nJohn Red Feather too<\/p>\n
this is not spoken of
\nin town<\/p>\n
ps March 19, feast of St. Joseph and of Sisters of St Joseph everywhere. Happy feast Sr. Beth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Wedneaday March 19 — the last full day of winter Jim Janda lived as a mystic pilgrim for most of his 74 years. He died August 7, 2010 in Salt Lake City, a priest of that diocese since 1996. Jim … Continue reading