Loading Mercury with a Pitchfork

Loading Mercury with a Pitchfork is Richard Brautigan's ninth poetry publication. Published in 1976, the book includes 127 poems.^[1] The four line title poem discusses the effort and interest in undertaking an obviously impossible task, such as loading the liquid metal Mercury using only a pitchfork.

   Loading mercury with a pitchfork
   your truck is almost full. The neighbors
   take a certain pride in you. They
        stand around watching.
"Loading Mercury with a Pitchfork" (1971)^[1]

Loading Mercury with a Pitchfork

First edition
Author	Richard Brautigan
Cover artist	Erik Weber
Language	English
Genre	Poetry
Publisher	Simon & Schuster
Publication date	1976
Publication place	United States
Media type	Print (Hardcover)
Pages	127
ISBN	0-671-22263-5
OCLC	2006053
Dewey Decimal	811/.5/4
LC Class	PS3503.R2736 L6