On His 83rd Birthday, Gary Snyder’s Poem “Old Bones”
May 8, 2013
Today is poet Gary Snyder’s birthday. He is 83 years old.
I studied with Gary and he had a big impact on my poetry, which I’ve written about elsewhere on this blog.
You won’t find traces of his influence in my work, stylistically at any rate; rather you’ll find it in my deep engagement of nature, in how I pay attention, and “be crafty and get the work done.”
Happy birthday Gary!
Here is Gary Snyder’s poem, “Old Bones”:
Old Bones
Out there walking round, looking out for food,
a rootstock, a birdcall, a seed that you can crack
plucking, digging, snaring, snagging,
barely getting by,
no food out there on dusty slopes of scree—
carry some—look for some,
go for a hungry dream.
Deer bone, Dall sheep,
bones hunger home.
Out there somewhere
a shrine for the old ones,
the dust of the old bones,
old songs and tales.
What we ate—who ate what—
how we all prevailed.
–Gary Snyder
And here is a recording of Gary reading “Old Bones”:
Scott Edward Anderson
Scott Edward Anderson's Poetry Blog 
May 8, 2013 at 12:38 pm
some where out there in the wilderness, I have lost my dream, my tales and my poetry..those were my food for thought, can now be your’s too..if you can find
May 8, 2013 at 2:14 pm
Understand ‘old bones’… Got them myself! You captured Sammi… Think of her in technicolor tho. Xoxo
Sent from my iPhone
May 8, 2013 at 2:39 pm
I live with her in technicolor! 😉 XO