David Thodal Poems

David Thodal worked at Gulf of Maine Books the first year we were open, 1979, keeping the store open on Friday nights, filling in at other times, and becoming a regular member of the Bums Academy.For a number of years now he has been living in Montana, with his wife and daughter. He has just published a collection of poems called "Bird Songs", saying that "I am thinking...of the bird song as an exclamation of home, "this must be the place". These poems are my song of place."

Here's a poem given to David by the birds at Chimney Farm, where Beth and I live:

Never enough time

to sit and listen.

Loons last night

whip-poor-will at dawn.

will I ever understand the full tale

of a daffodil's bloom

or the new maple leaf

speak of the long winter's snow

In the dark of night

I wake,

and listen to geese

sing ancient tales of spring

around the moonlight.

Chimney Farm

Spring 1986