Hayes, Alice Judson Ryerson 1981
The president is walking in his sleep.
At the ends of his arms
air-flicking fingers thrum
dreaming of turning on a light.
Sleep, surrounded by switches
is iridescent in the Dark House.
His sleepy hand fumbles and reaches,
cheerful. Numb. Near.
– Alice Judson Ryerson Hayes, “Calling-People”
Watch a video about Alice Judson Ryerson Hayes’s Ragdale Foundation:
Ragdale Presents: Alice Judson Ryerson Hayes – A Poet and A Place Become A Legacy
To our Artists: It will soon be 2016, the 40TH ANNIVERSARY of the Ragdale Foundation. Ragdale’s founder, Alice Hayes, envisioned a world that was inclusive, just, and filled with creative discovery. Alice’s Ragdale is that type of place and her good works continue to be recognized and celebrated.
The dilly silly court
on diases of raw silk
smirked at the dwarf
toddling. Oh, the milk
spilling down his chin!
Even the Imam laughed
as the eyes rolled
in the lolling head.
– Alice Judson Ryerson Hayes, “Jester”
