Some unforgotten beauty

During a two-week stay in Great Smoky Mountains National Park this April, our 2026 Steve Kemp writer in residence Laurie McDowell was inspired by the beauty of the mountains and the intricate web of life they support. But he was also inspired by the solitude of the residential experience itself.

 “Whether that was cooking my meals or taking time while out in the park to sit and enjoy the place, the time alone gave me space to consider what was important in my relationships in a wonderful way,” he said.

That perspective gave rise to the poem featured below, “These arms can carry.”

“I wanted to capture what it feels like to want to help someone you love, even with simple acts, but knowing that your help isn’t what they’re asking for,” he said. “In my experience, it’s been emotional—seeing a need and wanting to help someone work through a trauma or roadblock in their life—or it’s been as literal as having an able body and wanting to help someone you love with something as tangible as cooking.”

The poem appears alongside an illustration McDowell created of a Robin’s plantain plant (Erigeron pulchellus). Plants in the Erigeron genus are relatively common and often found on roadsides and disturbed areas—and, like the humble acts of love he writes about in his poem, are often overlooked. Nevertheless, they are “really beautiful plants that are often adding life and supporting pollinators in forgotten areas.”

McDowell will complete his residency later this year with two-week stays in July and September. Another pairing of his poetry and illustration is available here.

These arms can carry

Till my bones are woven
with tender roots together,
I can raise the old cast iron
up onto the flame–
lift the cutting board
scrape in the onions
and for you
make ’em sing sing sing.

Before we have to carry on,
let me carry something

’cause I’ll be sat here a while
listening for your sigh,
doin’ a whole lot of nothing
with these arms that can carry.

Header photo by seoulfully via Flickr.