By Jack Joseph Smith
Original Scan
AI Interpretation
Childhood on the Wabash with rabbits, groundhogs, colts, hoops, and Methodist country turns toward the Holy Ghost only after fist and mouth reveal a wordless truth passing through bodies.
The early images are rough and physical, full of sport, hunting, and animal force, yet none of that counts as real vision. Hell is known before understanding, which is why the poem insists that knowledge alone does not make anyone right. The repeated turn toward fist and mouth suggests revelation arriving through bodily encounter rather than doctrine, and truth passes through male and female without attaching to either.
A rough physical boyhood that none of its action counts as vision: 'at ten shooting rabbit's / and groundhog's on the Wabash', 'Bucking colts into the fence', 'shooting hoops / underneath the race track', 'All around Methodist'. Only later would he 'remember the Holy Ghoast', and the poem warns that 'When you know all about Hell / That dosen't mean your right'. Revelation arrives through bodily encounter, not doctrine -- 'I didn't see anything / until I saw your fist', 'Until I saw your mouth' -- and 'The truth' passes through 'Male and famile / Without a word'.