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The Least of These
POEMS BY Todd Davis
Copyright Date: 2010
Published by: Michigan State University Press
Pages: 140
https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.14321/j.ctt7zt9th
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Book Info
The Least of These
Book Description:

In his third collection of poems Todd Davis advises us that "the only corruption comes / in not loving this life enough." Over the course of this masterful and heartfelt book it becomes clear that Davis not only loves the life he's been given, but also believes that the ravishing desire of this world can offer hope, and even joy, however it might be negotiated.Drawing upon a range of stories from the Christian, Transcendental, and Asian traditions, as well as from his own deep understanding of the natural world, Davis explores the connection between the visible and invisible worlds, or what Pierre Teilhard de Chardin called "the incandescent surface of matter plunged in God."A direct poetic descendant of Walt Whitman, Davis invites us to sing "the songs we collect in the hymnals of our flesh- / impromptu, a cappella, our mouths flung open / in a great wide O."

eISBN: 978-1-60917-193-3
Subjects: Language & Literature
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Table of Contents
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  1. Front Matter
    Front Matter (pp. i-vi)
  2. Table of Contents
    Table of Contents (pp. vii-2)
  3. Last of December
    Last of December (pp. 3-4)
  4. I.
    • And the Dead Shall Be Raised Incorruptible
      And the Dead Shall Be Raised Incorruptible (pp. 7-7)
    • A Memory of Heaven
      A Memory of Heaven (pp. 8-8)
    • None of This Could Be Metaphor
      None of This Could Be Metaphor (pp. 9-9)
    • The Face of Jesus
      The Face of Jesus (pp. 10-10)
    • Stem Cell
      Stem Cell (pp. 11-11)
    • Confession
      Confession (pp. 12-12)
    • Tequila
      Tequila (pp. 13-13)
    • Aubade
      Aubade (pp. 14-14)
    • Craving
      Craving (pp. 15-15)
    • Doctrine
      Doctrine (pp. 16-16)
    • Letter to Galway Kinnell at the End of September
      Letter to Galway Kinnell at the End of September (pp. 17-17)
    • Half in the Sun
      Half in the Sun (pp. 18-18)
    • Weather Report
      Weather Report (pp. 19-19)
    • My Family Sees My Empty Hands
      My Family Sees My Empty Hands (pp. 20-20)
    • Forgive Me
      Forgive Me (pp. 21-21)
    • The Secrets of Baking Soda
      The Secrets of Baking Soda (pp. 22-22)
    • What if in the beginning
      What if in the beginning (pp. 23-23)
    • Invasive
      Invasive (pp. 24-24)
    • A Psalm for My Children
      A Psalm for My Children (pp. 25-25)
    • Our Forgetting
      Our Forgetting (pp. 26-26)
    • On the eve of the Iraqi Invasion, my wife says
      On the eve of the Iraqi Invasion, my wife says (pp. 27-29)
    • Jonah Begins to Think like a Prophet
      Jonah Begins to Think like a Prophet (pp. 30-30)
    • The Fish in the Cage
      The Fish in the Cage (pp. 31-31)
    • An Island Mother Speaks
      An Island Mother Speaks (pp. 32-32)
    • Black Water
      Black Water (pp. 33-33)
    • Obituary
      Obituary (pp. 34-34)
    • Veil
      Veil (pp. 35-35)
    • Again, at Daybreak
      Again, at Daybreak (pp. 36-36)
    • Praying
      Praying (pp. 37-38)
  5. II.
    • Happiness
      Happiness (pp. 41-43)
    • Like a Thief
      Like a Thief (pp. 44-45)
    • Democracy
      Democracy (pp. 46-46)
    • The Blessing of the Body, Which Is the House of Prayer
      The Blessing of the Body, Which Is the House of Prayer (pp. 47-47)
    • Aesthetics
      Aesthetics (pp. 48-48)
    • The Rhododendron
      The Rhododendron (pp. 49-49)
    • Questions for the Artist
      Questions for the Artist (pp. 50-50)
    • The River
      The River (pp. 51-53)
    • The Sunflower
      The Sunflower (pp. 54-54)
    • Dryad
      Dryad (pp. 55-55)
    • Gastronomy
      Gastronomy (pp. 56-56)
    • Christmas Eve
      Christmas Eve (pp. 57-57)
    • Winter Morning
      Winter Morning (pp. 58-58)
    • Responsibility
      Responsibility (pp. 59-59)
    • Farm Wives
      Farm Wives (pp. 60-60)
    • Note to Walt Whitman
      Note to Walt Whitman (pp. 61-61)
    • Shibboleth
      Shibboleth (pp. 62-62)
    • After It Rained All Night, She Said He Woke Up Dead
      After It Rained All Night, She Said He Woke Up Dead (pp. 63-63)
    • Entering the Meadow above Three Springs Run
      Entering the Meadow above Three Springs Run (pp. 64-64)
    • Some Say the Soul Makes the Living Weep
      Some Say the Soul Makes the Living Weep (pp. 65-65)
    • Neither Here Nor There
      Neither Here Nor There (pp. 66-66)
    • Why We Don’t Die
      Why We Don’t Die (pp. 67-67)
    • The Kingdom of God Is like This
      The Kingdom of God Is like This (pp. 68-68)
    • The Saints of April
      The Saints of April (pp. 69-69)
    • Migration
      Migration (pp. 70-71)
    • Accident
      Accident (pp. 72-72)
    • The Least of These
      The Least of These (pp. 73-73)
    • Happy for This
      Happy for This (pp. 74-74)
    • Omen
      Omen (pp. 75-75)
    • Nicodemus’s Complaint
      Nicodemus’s Complaint (pp. 76-76)
    • Last Supper
      Last Supper (pp. 77-77)
    • For My Father’s Death, Before It Happens
      For My Father’s Death, Before It Happens (pp. 78-78)
  6. III.
    • April Poem
      April Poem (pp. 81-81)
    • Turkey Hunting
      Turkey Hunting (pp. 82-82)
    • My Son, in Love for the First Time
      My Son, in Love for the First Time (pp. 83-83)
    • Vernal
      Vernal (pp. 84-85)
    • Theodicy
      Theodicy (pp. 86-86)
    • The World Can Be a Gentle Place
      The World Can Be a Gentle Place (pp. 87-87)
    • The Night after the Day the Clover Blooms
      The Night after the Day the Clover Blooms (pp. 88-88)
    • July Finds the Soul like a Ripe Berry
      July Finds the Soul like a Ripe Berry (pp. 89-89)
    • Puberty
      Puberty (pp. 90-90)
    • Keeping Secrets
      Keeping Secrets (pp. 91-91)
    • Persephone Dreams of Thomas Hart Benton
      Persephone Dreams of Thomas Hart Benton (pp. 92-92)
    • Upon Finding Something Worthy of Praise
      Upon Finding Something Worthy of Praise (pp. 93-93)
    • Field Mouse
      Field Mouse (pp. 94-94)
    • A German Farmer Thinks of Spring
      A German Farmer Thinks of Spring (pp. 95-95)
    • Necessity
      Necessity (pp. 96-96)
    • Far Afield
      Far Afield (pp. 97-97)
    • Consider
      Consider (pp. 98-98)
    • Note to My Wife, with Hopes She Won’t Need to Read It for Some Time
      Note to My Wife, with Hopes She Won’t Need to Read It for Some Time (pp. 99-99)
    • Now When We Kiss
      Now When We Kiss (pp. 100-100)
    • Barn Swallows
      Barn Swallows (pp. 101-101)
    • Omnivore
      Omnivore (pp. 102-102)
    • Spared
      Spared (pp. 103-103)
    • Cows Running
      Cows Running (pp. 104-104)
    • The Sleep of Pears
      The Sleep of Pears (pp. 105-105)
    • Salvage
      Salvage (pp. 106-106)
    • Matins
      Matins (pp. 107-107)
    • Indian Summer
      Indian Summer (pp. 108-108)
    • Yellow Light
      Yellow Light (pp. 109-109)
    • What I Wanted to Tell the Nurse When She Pricked My Thumb
      What I Wanted to Tell the Nurse When She Pricked My Thumb (pp. 110-110)
    • Solvitur Ambulando
      Solvitur Ambulando (pp. 111-111)
    • Ananias Lays Hands on Saul
      Ananias Lays Hands on Saul (pp. 112-112)
    • Apology to Crows
      Apology to Crows (pp. 113-113)
    • Bacchanalian Interlude
      Bacchanalian Interlude (pp. 114-114)
    • House of the World
      House of the World (pp. 115-115)
    • Golden
      Golden (pp. 116-116)
    • Tree of Heaven
      Tree of Heaven (pp. 117-119)
  7. Ascension
    Ascension (pp. 121-122)
  8. Acknowledgments
    Acknowledgments (pp. 123-126)
  9. About the Author
    About the Author (pp. 127-127)
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