If I am driving up to the San Francisco Bay area, I usually go on the 101 and not I-5. The 101 takes longer, but the scenery changes a lot, which I like. The last time I drove down I-5, it was a challenge, because the freeway was so straight that it was monotonous, and the land was flat and so was the horizon line. However, on that trip, I cheered when I reached a sign announcing the town of Buttonwillow, because that meant I was getting close to the San Fernando Valley.
Now I find that an amazing poet, Don Thompson, lives there, and writes poetry that I really like. I made this discovery reading an article in the 1-17-10 Los Angeles Times, called “Planted in the San Joaquin.” Thompson’s poetry is deceptively simple and speaks of nature all around him. Being involved with water issues in a small way (on the Triunfo Sanitation District Board), I was interested in what Thompson had to say about the State Water Project, that brings most if the drinking water to Southern California, from the Sacramento Delta.
Don Thompson preceded this description with descriptions of how rivers’ flow. Then he wrote (quoting the L.A. Times’ article):Â
 ”What about the California Aqueduct,
That bureaucrat
In a concrete suit, relentless, obsessed
With draining the North dry?”
 I do not agree with the message conveyed, because the State sends the water South, so we can drink it, but I sure like the way he expresses his view. To read the whole article about Thompson by Allan M. Jalon, with more poetry samples, go to: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-don-thompson17-2010jan17,0,255396.story
Posted by Janna Orkney
Chris Thompson // Feb 18, 2010 at 12:05 AM
Hi Janna!
I’m Don Thompson’s wife Chris. I was looking up stuff on Don like I so often do for fun and ran across your article. Thank you so much for all the nice things you said about Don’s poetry. I think it’s pretty great too.
Chris