The Best American Poetry

Film Still Series - #35

From the forthcoming film by Bill Hayward, Asphalt, Muscle and Bone, about a man at risk, the persistence of imagination and the impossibility of love. Produced by Bill Hayward and Anna Elman.

Film Still Series -#27

From the forthcoming film by Bill Hayward, Asphalt, Muscle and Bone, about a man at risk, the persistence of imagination and the impossibility of love. Produced by Bill Hayward and Anna Elman.

Letter to Harwood and Lehman from Livingston V [by Bill Hayward]

"Peace was Restored"

Dear David and Stacey:

An officer investigated when a mailbox was reported to have been run over at a Deadman’s Canyon Road address.  The officer noted the incident was specific to this mailbox; no others in the area were damaged.

A caller from the McLeod Bar called 911 at 3:20 a.m. to report someone was trying to steal a truck from the parking lot.  An officer responded and the report notes “peace was restored”.

A caller requested an officer respond to the gate of the gold course east of town where a boy was trying to sell golf balls to people as they entered the parking lot. The complainant was concerned because the young person would sometimes step out onto the highway while attempting sales. The boy left the area before the officer arrived.

A man parking his horse trailer near the mine parking lot on Business Loop West observed an old headstone about 10 feet off in the grass which bore a 1924 date.  An officer investigated and reported it looked like it had been there for a long time.

Officers responded when a City Club employee asked for assistance to “settle things down” when two guys at the bar were getting mouthy with each other.

An officer was unable to locate a four wheeler reported to be running up and down River Street, out to Highway 191, coming back into the bird houses and up and down Second and Third that did not have a light.  In addition, the caller said there was also a foreign car running around without a muffler.  When asked what the complaint was about the foreign car, the caller said it wasn’t doing anything, just running around.

©bill hayward 2008

Letter to Harwood and Lehman from Livingston IV

(c) bill hayward 2008

Dear Stacey and David: Sweetgrass County  August  12 – 15.

An officer investigated a speeding pickup on Old Boulder Road.  He then requested a big broom be brought to the Boulder Campground to clean up a big toilet that was busted all over the road.

The state road department was advised of a medicine cabinet creating a hazard in the westbound lane of I-90, mm383.

Services were rendered when an individual with a swather requested an escort under the Railroad Bridge north of Big Timber.

Officers were unable to locate a pickup with kids in the back going down Eighth Avenue really fast that lost control at the dropoff on Busha Street but continued driving fast.

A sink was found broken on Fairgrounds Road.

Cows and calves tearing up hay on private property on Swamp Road were reported and the believed owner contacted.

Letter to Harwood and Lehman from Livingston, III

(c) bill hayward 2008

Dear Stacey and David: This is from The Real West Marginal Way, "Dialogue with Richard Hugo":
<<
Well I think one thing was that Montana, of course, is vast, and there are a lot of poems lying around just to be picked up, and most of my Montana poems the last few years have come from east of the Divide....That's a funny way for a poet to think about it, but I do think of the world as a kind of hunting ground for poems and that I can find them lying around here and there.  Hopefully always inside myself ultimately. But I am a landscape poet, I guess.  I respond pretty much to the place where I live. 
>>

Letter to Harwood and Lehman from Livingston, II

(c) bill hayward 2008

Dear Stacey and David:  This is from [Richard] Hugo's The Real West Marginal Way, "Self-Interview":

<<<
Q: Do you think of the wind as God?

A: I suppose I do, except I don't believe in God.  I believe the wind is like God because we can see and feel its effect but not see it.

Q: But isn't that true about other things, for example electricity?

A: Yes and I hate you for bringing that up. I suppose the fault lies with me. I want to but can never accept theoretical explanations of electricity, and I've never been able to accept electricity as a concept because I don't understand it.  On the other hand I accept wind BECAUSE I don't understand it, and would refuse to listen to a theoretical explanation of it.

Q: Aren't you rather narrow?

A: Hopelessly.

Q: How about another poem about your ex-wife?
>>>

Letter to Harwood and Lehman from Livingston

Bill Hayward writes to us from big sky country.  He adds that the text accompanying the photo is from "the big timber police report in the big timber paper...that is  in  big timber, montana. "  Thanks, Bill.

--sdh

Film Still Series - #72

From the forthcoming film by Bill Hayward, Asphalt, Muscle and Bone, about a man at risk, the persistence of imagination and the impossibility of love. Produced by Bill Hayward and Anna Elman.

Film Still Series #94

From the forthcoming film by Bill Hayward, Asphalt, Muscle and Bone, about a man at risk, the persistence of imagination and the impossibility of love. Produced by Bill Hayward and Anna Elman.

Film Still Series - #92

From the forthcoming film by Bill Hayward, Asphalt, Muscle and Bone, about a man at risk, the persistence of imagination and the impossibility of love. Produced by Bill Hayward and Anna Elman.