May 14, 2022

Night. Worked today on Songs Powerful Against the Inhabitants of the Waters, a play that went astray years ago, but found its way back today. I have 46 full-length plays ready for the stage. This is not counting one-acts and 10 minute plays. My abundance is an absurdity. 

68 bamboo shoots dug out. Many climbing vines undone. 

M writes: I have The Ones with the Difficult Names on my bedside table, and it's been my nightly companion since you sent it to me. There's a theme in the book which is so beautiful and so striking: in exchange for noticing and capturing the beauty of the world, the poet has to forgo being noticed himself. This is the poetic sacrifice, and this is where the poetic lightning hits. I would put it up there with your very best work. I know that the poems were written at different points of time, but the thematic current of longing is absolutely beautiful. Congrats on publishing it, and thank you for sending it to me.

I have no recollection whatever of send it to him, but--