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Hermit Poems
Unpaginated, limited edition of 1000 copies reproduced from the author's handwriting.
stapled wraps
First published January 1, 1965
21 people want to read
About the author
Lew Welch
38 books18 followersLewis Barrett Welch, Jr. is an American poet associated with the Beat generation of poets, artists, and iconoclasts.
According to Aram Saroyan who wrote Genesis Angels: The Saga of Lew Welch and the Beat Generation, Welch decided to become a writer after reading Gertrude Stein's long story "Melanctha." Welch published and performed widely during the 1960s, and taught a poetry workshop as part of the University of California Extension in San Francisco from 1965 to 1970.
On May 23, 1971, he walked out of poet Gary Snyder's house in the mountains of California, carrying his 30-30 rifle and leaving behind a suicide note. His body was never found.
According to Aram Saroyan who wrote Genesis Angels: The Saga of Lew Welch and the Beat Generation, Welch decided to become a writer after reading Gertrude Stein's long story "Melanctha." Welch published and performed widely during the 1960s, and taught a poetry workshop as part of the University of California Extension in San Francisco from 1965 to 1970.
On May 23, 1971, he walked out of poet Gary Snyder's house in the mountains of California, carrying his 30-30 rifle and leaving behind a suicide note. His body was never found.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 28, 2009
[I burn up the deer in my body:]
-by Lew Welch (1926-1971?)
I burn up the deer in my body.
I burn up the tree in my stove.
I seldom let a carrot go to seed, and I
grind up every kind of grain.
How can I be and never be an
inconvenience to others, here,
where only the Vulture is absolutely pure
and in the Chicago River
are carp?
-by Lew Welch (1926-1971?)
I burn up the deer in my body.
I burn up the tree in my stove.
I seldom let a carrot go to seed, and I
grind up every kind of grain.
How can I be and never be an
inconvenience to others, here,
where only the Vulture is absolutely pure
and in the Chicago River
are carp?
March 4, 2018
“Step out onto the Planet.
Draw a circle a hundred feet round.
Inside the circle are 300 things nobody understands, and, maybe nobody’s ever really seen.
How many can you find?”
Draw a circle a hundred feet round.
Inside the circle are 300 things nobody understands, and, maybe nobody’s ever really seen.
How many can you find?”
November 7, 2025
A short and lovely dip into his work.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews