The Many Different Names We Call Things

Dear Mary,

Hello from the Philippines. I hope this note finds you in good spirits.

I just want you to know that even here, half a world away, your poems have changed lives. Every pond has a little of Blackwater pond in it now; every bird has in it a wild goose always "announcing my place in the family of things." Meaning, I guess, that you've made me-- us, your readers from here-- that much more aware of what poetry can do. A bit more loving of the mortal. And every time I re-read your work, I learn more about patience, about clear-sightedness, and how truly and simply connected we all are, despite distance and the many different names we call things.

Thank you for this, Mary.

Yours,

Mikael de Lara Co