W.E.R. LaFarge, poet, playwright, and environmentalist, was born in New York City on June 24, 1930. In 1978, he began to live year round at the River Farm, owned by his family since 1908.
W.E.R. was a founding and active member of the Narrow River Preservation Association that, over the years has preserved so much of the river we all enjoy. W.E.R. believed in preserving watersheds, farmland and public access to recreational and scenic areas. He believed that we are all stewards of the land, inextricably bound to it and to each other.
LaFarge Point Park and the U.R.I. Rowing Center were once part of the River Farm. W.E.R. donated these parcels and permanently restricted development on his land through conservation easements. The value of the gift was used as matching funds, allowing the Narrow River Land Trust with the assistance of the The Champlin Foundations and the Nature Conservancy, to preserve additional land on the upper pond.
Each year, NRPA honors someone who has made a large, positive impact on the Narrow River Watershed by awarding them the W.E.R. La Farge Friend of the River Award in W.E.R.’s honor.
Through the efforts of Senator John Chafee, the lower end of the estuary has been designated as the Pettaquamscutt Cove National Wildlife Refuge.
W.E.R. died at home in October 27, 1994 and is buried at the River Farm. His poem reprinted here was inspired by the glacial estuary we call “Narrow River”.
Earth’s Song
by W.E.R. LaFarge (1974)
I lie alone
remembering changes
how sudden crystals grew
from water falling
in a cup in a rock
surprising forms
acids in a cup in a rock
receiving lightning
a cup in a rock receiving
lightning
I am here
I lie alone
no one completes me
after lightning
I bide my time
I hold my forms beyond
surprising islands
I lie alone
remembering changes
how grinding ice came down
the slide of earth
rub of rivers
knuckles of trees cracking rocks
receiving ice surprising
cracking rocks receiving ice
a tree of rivers sprang inside
me
I am here
I lie alone
no one completes me
after water
I bide my time
I hold my face beyond
surprising rains
