This is the second time that Keillor circulated "Comfort" via The Writer's Almanac. The first time was on August 23, 2008. That's right: exactly 17 years ago. It hasn't aged a whit.
Father Ray Byrne quickly became
a star. He played sports, danced,
sang, told jokes. He was a man
of the people, and we loved him
for that. He came to our apartments
and brought us comfort.
He even came to a high school graduation
party one night. I was a little drunk.
Father Byrne came up to me and asked
"Are you thinking about it?" I panicked.
What did he mean? Sex? Booze? Basketball?
Could he read my mind? Then I realized
his tone wasn't accusatory, so I said,
"Yeah, I'm thinking about it," not having
any idea what he was talking about.
"That's great," he said, "I can always
tell when a young man is thinking about
it. Just let me know if I can be of any help."
Now I was positive he wasn't talking about
sex or money or any of the things I actually
did have on my mind. Father Byrne thought
I might have a vocation.
But I wasn't considering the priesthood.
I didn't even think professional basketball
was a possibility any more. God had walked
out the door about a year before,
when I was sixteen, and never looked back,
even though I begged him not
to leave me, alone and weeping
in this valley of tears.
"Comfort" by Terence Winch is from Boy Drinkers, published by Hanging Loose Press in 2007.
Terence Winch is one of our finest poets. He is also the guest editor of The Best American Poetry 2025, which will be published on September 2, 2025. The series editor is David Lehman. Order that BAP 2025 book N-O-W!
Becoming the guest editor of a Best American Poetry volume is a signal honor. The series itself began in 1988 with David Lehman as series editor and John Ashbery as guest editor. Since then, such esteemed poets as Donald Hall, Charles Simic, Louise Gluck, James Tate, Rita Dove, Denise Duhamel, Yusuf Komunyakaa, Paul Muldoon, Adrienne Rich, Robert Pinsky, Terrance Hayes, Edward Hirsch, Natasha Tretheway, and Dana Gioia (his verse was the main, but not exclusive, concentration of my 2015 doctoral dissertation on his work) have been a guest editor of a BAP volume.
Being tapped as a BAP guest editor is a well-deserved, prestigious appointment for Terence Winch, whose honors include an American Book Award, Columbia Book Award, NEA Poetry Fellowship, and Gertrude Stein Award for Innovative Writing. His writing has also been featured on National Public Radio's All Things Considered. Besides books of poetry, he has written two collections of short stories, Contenders and That Special Place: New World Irish Stories, as well as the novel Seeing-Eye Boy. And on the musical front, Terence is a founding member of the original, shtick-free Celtic Thunder band, in which he plays button accordion and tenor banjo. (Older brother Jesse is a co-founding member who plays bodhran and acoustic guitar.) Click on this final link to get a better idea of Terence's musical side:
In 2014, Iona College, Terence's undergraduate alma mater, awarded him an honorary degree. He also has a master's degree from Fordham University.
— Earle R. Hitchner III
Photo above: Michael Lally and David Lehman flank Terence Winch.