Camille T. Dungy: a velocity in the language

Camille T. Dungy is the author of America, A Love Story, Soil: The Story of a Black Mother’s Garden, and five other books of poetry and prose. She has edited three anthologies, including Black Nature: Four Centuries of African American Nature Poetry. Dungy is currently a University Distinguished Professor at Colorado State University.If you’re reading this somewhere other than Substack, these notes will be abridged and photos will not appear. Join the Ask the Poet Substack (kathrynpetruccelli.substack.com) for complete show notes with images, correct poetry formatting, and regular notices of new episodes.Crumbling is not an instant’s ActA fundamental pauseDilapidation’s processesAre organized Decays —‘Tis first a Cobweb on the SoulA Cuticle of DustA Borer in the AxisAn Elemental Rust —Ruin is formal — Devil’s workConsecutive and slow —Fail in an instant, no man didSlipping — is Crashe’s law —(The Johnson 997 version of this poem writes it as “Crash’s law,” but is otherwise identical to the Franklin 1010 version above.)as if an etymology my loveCamille Dungythe word sill means threshold.I am standing at your—I place my feet and body on—the place where I can comeor I can go— thresholdmeant a raised ledge to stopthe hay that covered a floorfrom spilling out and scatteringeach time someone openedthe door. hold the thresh inside,my love. when we bed down,let us bed down on this haysoftfloor. think of it— a syllableis a threshold to a word—just as a windowsill— just asa door— love is one syllable—sleep, hope, dream, death, no,yes, all, one— words are openings.every word— some with manyledges. I place my mind and bodyat your— sweep around the doorsillcarefully— my loveOther Dickinson poems referenced:Tell all the truth but tell it slant –Some keep the Sabbath going to ChurchThere’s a certain Slant of light,People, songs, books referenced:Jane HirshfieldCharles Chestnutt – read some of his work here.An interview with the biographer of Charles Chestnutt.The Yellow Eyes of TexasJames by Percival EverettThe Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark TwainAdditional/of interest:Camille’s essay for the Poetry Foundation from several years back entitled “Tell it Slant.”Recorded February 20, 2026. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kathrynpetruccelli.substack.com/subscribe