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Barbara Presnell    

robin

The World's Lyric

A mule deer drinks at the creek bed this morning.
In the meadow a Luna moth struggles for light.
The long-winded hummingbird dips into sugar.
A snail may be scribbling his name across stone.

Wherever you are in this wild place, your life,
the world around you is writing a poem.
Listen. Learn the language of small things.
Hear their loud, triumphant voices.

from The Journey Home, 2002

 

 

 

 

Everybody and every thing has a story to tell, and it's my work to help those stories get told. I want to focus on the small, ordinary things — the beans, the robins, the mill people, the Mexican children, the plumber, the hairdresser — and give them voice.

To do that, I must simply listen, paying attention to what's around me in this small, ordinary life I live, and tell the stories I hear with respect, honesty, and love.

 

Piece Work
The Touring Theatre of North Carolina presents an adaptation of Barbara's book "Piece Work," which captures the rich community of textile workers. Check calendar or book performances here.

  About "Piece Work"
  Purchase "Piece Work"