Wells, James Bradley

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Grand Valley ReviewVolume 31 | Issue 1 Article 201-1-2007The Third Hour: PrayJames Bradley WellsGrand Valley State UniversityFollow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/gvrThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@GVSU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Grand Valley Review by anauthorized administrator of ScholarWorks@GVSU. For more information, please contact scholarworks@gvsu.edu.Recommended CitationWells, James Bradley (2007) "The Third Hour: Pray," Grand Valley Review: Vol. 31: Iss. 1, Article 20.Available at: http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/gvr/vol31/iss1/201 e  I l : f o n d e m e n t s  1e r n i s m e .  ( P o u r  m s l a t e d  b y  F r o m  m o d e r n i t y  .  L o n d o n  a n d  > S ,  1 9 6 8 .  J e v i c h ,  A l i c e  R a b i n o v i t c h .  ,  1 9 8 4 .  O r i g i -7 e .  P a r i s :  . t e d  b y  A l f r e d  m b l i s h e d  a s  J o h n  M o o r e .  l  a s  I n t r o d u c t i o n  6 2 .  )  P a r i s :  G a l -- S m i t h .  t c t i o n  d e  a n d  N e w  G e r a l d  M o o r e .  u c t i o n  a  I a  c o n -~sota P r e s s ,  : d  a s  L a  r i v o l u -t  S a r t r e  t o  R e o r d e r i n g  o f  .  9 9 6 .  : w  Y o r k :  R o u t -2 8 2 .  N o . 7 .  ( F e b  j a m e s  B r a d l e y  W e l l s  T h e  T h i r d  H o u r :  P r a y  I  l o v e  m y  m o u t h  f i l l e d  w i t h  t h e  t a s t e  o f  y o u  a n d  t o  c h o r d  y o u r  f l a v o r s  i n  a  q u i e t  v o i c e .  T h e n  m y  after~clothes c a t c h i n g  y o u r  h a i r  s c o r e  t h e  d a y  t o  ' T h e  D e c r e e  i s  a  L i l y . "  O r  m e m o r y  o f  h o w  s u n l i g h t  w a s  e t c h i n g  y o u r  s h o u l d e r .  a n d  l y r i c s  i n  T h e  B o o h  o f P r a i s e s  d i v i n e  t h e  r o t o r e d  m o v e m e n t s  o f  n e c e s s i t y :  I  w o r h  t h e  l i l t i n g  f i e l d s  o f S I J U l a m  I  i t s  p a s t u r e s  i n h a b i t  m y  e y e s  I  a  d a w n  u n d r e s s e s  i n  m y  m o u t h  I  y o u r  b o d y ' s  s c e n t  h n e e l s  a b o v e  m y  l i p s .  T h e s e  i n c a n t a t i o n s  b y  t h e  m u r m u r i n g  s o n s  o f  K o r a h  c o n v e r t  t h e  l o s s  o f  m o r n i n g  i n t o  o f f i c i a l  i n f l e c t i o n s  f o r  o u r  s m a l l  h o u r s  a w a y  .  P r e s e n c e d  g r a i n s  o f  m o m e n t .  t h e  o r b i t i n g  c h u r n  o f  s w a l l o w s .  t h e  f a c e s  i n  i t .  t h e y  h a v e  l u t e s  f o r  t o n g u e s .  T h e y  i n c i s e  a n  E a s t e r  f o r  t h e  h i s t o r y  o f  h i p s .  A m e n ,  t h o u g h  n a t u r e ' s  m u r d e r o u s  u r g e s  d o o m  e v e n  o u r  s u n .  S o  g r a d e s  o f  e n t r o p y  u l t i m a t e l y  p r e s e r v e  o u r  c o n v e r s a t i o n .  W i l l  s o m e  b a f f l e d  c u r r i c u l u m  k e e p  t h e s e  e v e n t u a l  a s h e s  i n  t h e  u r n s  o f  a n  e x p e r t ' s  b a l a n c e d  a s s e s s m e n t ?  W i l l  t h i s  A m e r i c a  t u r n  o u t  t o  b e  a  w a t e r s h e d .  n o t  a  D a r k  A g e  u n d e r  t h e  p o n d e r o u s  t y r a n n y  o f  t h e  d i g i t a l  i d e a ' s  c o n s u m m a t i o n .  d e l e t i n g  h u m a n  p o l y p h o n y  i n t o  b y t e s  o f  a n d r o i d  v o i c e s  f u n n e l e d  t h r o u g h  f l a t t e n e d  o u t .  b r o a d b a n d  c r e a t i v e  w r i t i n g  d e g r e e s ?  I m a g i n e  l a t e r  s c h o l a r s  o f  t h i s  q u i l t e d  l a n g u a g e  .  w i t h  i t s  c o l d  o r i g i n s .  a n d  u n r o m a n t i c ,  s o  A m e r i c a n  a r t s  a n d  l e t t e r s .  s o m e t h i n g  m o r e  t h a n  i t s  c o m b u s t i o n  e n g i n e  d e s i g n s  o r  g e n e t i c .  a t o m i c ,  w i r e l e s s  w r e c k a g e  o f  t h e  m o r n i n g  w h e n  f i r s t  t h e  e y e s  a r e .  I f  t o d a y  w e r e  i n  t i m e  l i k e  w h a t  c a n  b e  s o  w o r t h  a  P e r i c l e a n  A t h e n s  o r  M e d i c e a n  7 5  Florence, forget that media and technology aspire to throw-away arts, forget the academy's surgical removal from that morning, and still there is nature's murderous urges. What matter is Divinity to this? Merely a metonymy for heavy paradoxes, an index of what's not to be proofed? Something that palpitates in the cosmic ebb utters one equation: given infinity, all instances, contacts, breaths, every outer space hurtling behind every pair of closed eyes and every pair of closed eyes itself-these are infinitesimally possible. God is that possible in a way that contradicts distinctions between surface and depth and source and confluence, and is less mystery than the science that life occurs admits how Beauty is recognition-and this text of hours officiates the mornings we know. The future was a palsied blade of grass, but mercy is history's monument. 'James CJJradley Wells is Visiting ufssistant Proftssor of [lassies at (jVJU. c.Also a poet, Wells is seeking publication for his first collection of poems, ~isters of the c.Autograph, where this poem appears. On BE T he first tim in a rented ready to learn w to see for myselJ TV and read ab< and drove my m into the sideway Out into the lar My dad had traveling much as an auto exec. said it all: he wa ties, spoke at au the global publi I didn't get to sc would call an ic things about wa around the trad brought me dov Dale Earnhardt me dive into th off my bike, but and the fourth 1 tire spinning in box to make sur and I was glad f neither of us wa As far as I k lower middle ch born to an imrr childhood of ice as everyone in t drawing a horse "Pots mended. I black and white outfit-comple back of a shagg: I noticed the ed out. In this pictl navy whites. He 

The Third Hour: Pray

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The Third Hour: Pray

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