By Tom Waits

I will be the first to admit, the power of print continues to blow my mind.

But every once in a while, it REALLY blows my mind. Let’s take for example, a poem that raises nearly $90,000 for assistance to the homeless, and does it prior to actually being printed and released. Simply the promise of the printed piece was enough to kickstart the fundraising.

Of course, it’s not any poem. It’s Seeds on Hard Ground, by Tom Waits. And, it’s not any method of distribution, the two chapbook editions were beautifully designed by Johnny Brewton of X-Ray Book Co., carefully crafted by Pinball and expertly released by the team at Anti-Records. But it still raised $90,000 for people who really needed it. And the chapbooks will endure in collections around the world as tangible reminders of the intellect and generosity of Tom Waits. It’s more than the power of print. It’s the power of print in tandem with great content, big hearts, and a very worthy cause.

The poem was inspired by Michael O’Brien’s photographs of the homeless. A re-arranged version of the poem appears alongside O’Brien’s portraits in his book Hard Ground.

The chapbooks are completely sold out. But you can still donate to charities selected by Tom Waits, The Redwood Empire Food Bank, and Sonoma County’s Homeless Referral Services and Family Support Center operated by Catholic Charities.