Early in the Morning

....
My mother combs,
pulls her hair back
tight, rolls it
around two fingers, pins it
....

I discovered Li-Young Lee through hearing an interview with him and being captivated by his voice and careful way of speaking. He struck me as someone who does not underestimate words. From an extraordinary life, rich with experience, he pulls quiet, observational poems, as with this one where the simple daily act of his mother tying back her hair in the morning is the pebble dropping into the still pool.