Saturday, May 5, 2012

CRAIG CZURY: FROM HIS MARCELLUS JOURNAL

Craig Czury is the 2012 recipient of the F. Lammot Belin Scholarship for Artists, which will allow him to continue his “Thumb Notes” interviews while hitchhiking around the Northeast/North Central Pennsylvania natural gas drilling region. Craig lives outside Dimock and Reading, Pa.



Marcellus Journal 8.21.11 Springville, Pa.

To get cell phone reception I have to walk the hill up back
to the little league field and perch to the southwest
on the rain-soaked bleachers the same direction Mexico
is taking Japan in extra innings hills away in Williamsport
Christmassy and alien a new drill rig juts up above the trees
on the hill beyond the schoolhouse where I sleep on a mattress
on the floor in a high school classroom my table lamp glares
through the window perfectly aligned with the towering lights
This gas drilling would be good work for the kids who graduated
from this high school instead of going into the Army to make good
but they all probably got farm deferments it’s the same difference
each of these well pads takes the place of how many farm boys
coming home from the Arab oil wars in body bags you do the math
times what we left over there at least we got water

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