Dreher on Berry's To a Siberian Woodsman

Rod Dreher reminded me of one of the great Wendell Berry's wonderful poems, written in 1968 upon looking at pictures of one of his "enemies" in a magazine and thinking of how much they have in common.

In light of the situations in Georgia, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and even the animosity between Democrats and Republicans, it is a wonderful reminder of how much we have in common with our "enemies."

Here is a link to the entire poem (not too long)- this version is slightly different from what I have in his collection of poems.

Here is the final line (which Dreher quotes):

There is no government so worthy as your son 

Who fishes with you in silence beside the forest pool?
There is no national glory so comely as your daughter,
Whose hands have learned a music and go their own way on the keys.
There is no national glory so comely as my daughter,
Who dances and sings and is the brightness of my house.
There is no government so worthy as my son, who laughs,

as he comes up the path from the river in the evening, for joy.