This is Michael Carey for Voices From the Prairie a weekly sampling from the rich soil of Iowa’s literary tradition. Today’s writer is Mary Jane White: a mother, poet, and translator studied law at Duke and the University of Iowa but moved to Iowa City to study at its famous Writers’ Workshop. Since her graduation 24 years ago, she has lived and practiced law in rural Iowa, mostly in Waukon in northeast Iowa near Decorah. Today’s poem entitled "Ok, Ok" is an old one, dating back to a time when she was still getting used to some of the more basic aspects of life in an old draughty house in the Iowa country. Using an outhouse for the first time at night on a friend’s farm may seem lyrically rustic to some, but it may seem thoroughly gross and frightening to others who may have to make little earthy jokes about the experience just to see themselves through it. Who knows what vicious creature is moving around out there in the night in the field as you sit in the darkness a few feet away, alone on the throne, exposed, frightened, half-naked and seemingly defenseless.
I sit down, say
a short prayer
of thanks for
the carpeted seat
of the outhouse.
Susan, Stephen, what
an unexpected pleasure.
I will have to
tell them as much
in the morning.
Could this be Vogue
under the flashlight?
I could sit to
the first light
of morning, let
the door stand open.
Something
surely uncivilized,
the size of a badger
is moving outside,
distinctly rustling
off.
Enough
I know enough,
instinctively,
to know the size of
a badger when I
hear it.
Did you see it?
I didn’t see
anything.
There are badgers.
We’ve seen badgers.
Skunk, coon, or what
I tell you,
it scared the shit
right out of me.
Ha, Ha.
Ha, Ha, Ha.
"Ok, Ok" by Mary Jane White from her book Starry Sky to Starry Sky published by Holy Cow! Press.
For Voices from the Prairie and Humanities Iowa, this is Michael Carey hoping you continue to hear the music blooming all around you.
Biography
Mary Jane White was born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina. She has earned degrees from Reed College and the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop and studied law at Duke University and the University of Iowa. Her poetry and translations have received many awards, most recently N.E. A. Fellowships, in 1979 for her poetry and in 1985 for her translations. Her work has appeared in the American Poetry Review, The Iowa Review, Crazy Horse and Russian: The Modern Period, an anthology of translations. Her first book of poetry Starry Sky to Starry Sky was published in 1988 by Holy Cow! Press. She practices law at her home in Waukon, Iowa, where she lives with her son Ruffin.