Sad Poets Society № 6

A look at what it means to truly know a place

Photo by Ryan Cheng on Unsplash

Welcome,

Let this month’s meeting of the Sad Poets Society commence. Today we’ll be discussing “Local Knowledge” by Richard Shelton. Let’s get into it.

Local Knowledge

BY RICHARD SHELTON

on December nights
when the rain we needed months ago
is still far off and the wind
gropes through the desert
in search of any tree to hold it

those who live here all year-round
listen to the irresistible
voice of loneliness
and want only to be left alone

some kinds of damage
provide their own defense

local knowledge is to live in a place
and know the place
however barren

we who stay in the ruins are secure
against enemies and friends

if you should see one of us
in the distance as your caravan passes
and if he is ragged and gesturing
do not be mistaken

he is not gesturing for rescue
he is shouting ‘go away’

I’ve been writing a lot about Florida lately, so this poem jumped out at me; it fits the mood I’m in at the moment. What I like about this poem is that anyone who’s lived in a place long enough can relate. Living in Florida, putting up with tourists and snowbirds comes with the territory. But even if your home isn’t constantly filled with visitors, this poem still makes sense. The place we plant our roots digs itself into us in return. A sort of symbiosis forms. The home and its inhabitants depend on each other to thrive.

In addition to love, there is loneliness in this poem. Much like the desert it calls upon, it’s beautiful in its rough and stark openness. The desert is dry, and even the wind searches for purchase. But upon hearing “the irresistible voice of loneliness,” those living there “want only to be left alone.” Yet the narrator uses the terms “we” and “one of us” to describe those living in the poem’s setting. No one there is truly alone because others live among them. But the collective desire for loneliness provides unspoken boundaries. Bridges exist between them, even if they’re seldom used.