In many spiritual traditions, the first day of spring marks the beginning of the New Year. One of Gary Snyder’s most widely known poems, “Prayer for the Great Family” is after a Mohawk prayer. It’s an expression of gratitude that can mark the return of spring, the start of a new year, or simply the beginning of a new day. Here reading the poem accompanied by Parkington Sisters during the performance “In Praise” at the 2014 Dodge Poetry Festival, Snyder is in particularly good voice. He not only reads with great feeling but his expression of pure bliss at the end of the recording shows his appreciation for the beautiful harmonies of Rose, Ariel and Sarah, of Parkington Sisters, who composed the accompanying music especially for this occasion.
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