(after an Wabenaki song)
Look often up the river in spring at the breaking of the ice.
You may see me coming down in my canoe.
Look often when the willows thicken and yellow,
when the ferns pierce upward through the earth,
and the doe in the dense brush
is cleaning her fawn with a mossy tongue.
Look often up the river
when the birds are finding new nesting places
in the crooked old trees.
Look often, and listen
for the splash of my paddle.
I am pushing away the broken ice between us.
I am bringing many beaver skins for your father.
Look up the river
where I am rippling through the waters.
I am bringing a blanket my mother wove
with the medicine signs of our people.
I am bringing a necklace of shining stones.
At night when you’re startled awake
by the thunderous cracking of ice,
think of me in the dark on the river.
My arms are untiring
as I follow the river road to you
Dolores Stewart, from Doors to the Universe
Posted with the kind permission of the poet, Dolores Stewart Riccio. Visit her online here.
2 comments:
Oh so beautiful - and haunting, both picture and words... Brings a tinge of melancholy.
The photo played tricks with my mind this morning. :) When I first looked at it, my mind saw the Ocean to the left (the white snow-covered brush) crashing in on the shore to the right (the ice covered river). How interesting that the mind misinterprets what it sees sometimes! Our eyes play along, and nothing seems what it really is... And then, I read the sad poem, which I liked, and of course finally saw the "correct" view of the river in the mist... Truly magical... _/\_ Blessings to you...
So beautiful and lyrical. I had to read it outloud... and then read it again. Thank you so much for sharing, Cate!
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