recovering notes from the deep, part 6

it can take decades
to write it down
gestate
maybe even irony has a place in this

the greyhound bus lines began

in hibbing minnesota in 1914
i took a one-way greyhound
leaving the iron range
from hibbing in 1991
with a backpack
and a boxed-up bicycle

scores of towns & stops

before nyc
and then jfk airport
and then israel

but this isn't about that

but about the act of leaving

the beginning of summer
coming on strong
drying up the low lands a bit
the first real heat 
bicycling itasca county 8
     the boys bravely keeping up
     with the 'club' ride
the new sprouts
on both sides of the road
though my eyes looked
straight and immediate

separating from my sons

the twins graduating from high school
the two older ones off to college
our futures were destined
for many directions

the hundred pine seedlings dying

in the front field
a few weeks late
in the planting
still glad we tried

on the way out

a last go around
at nashwauk high school & track
where frozen spring begins
with a pounding on your feet

and then on to hibbing

past the library and high school
it'll always be zimmerman's high school

in the distance
the mines & stacks
of the taconite plant
brothers & sisters
keeping on
it'll always be north country blues

with every blue lake

the thaw is only temporary
gouged out red rock piles
     transitory
every white birch       bark peeling
deep green tamarack    
aiming straight for the northern lights
remembering when my eyes
first crossed sight
with a gray wolf
a fly over of geese
letting us all know
     there comes a path
     and a time

--- e b bortz