earth note 620

the road from floodwood to silica minnesota 1976

was a land of cattails
wetlands
from memory the sky
stayed gray for weeks
if you got stranded
on the shortcut to duluth
in the winter deep freeze
or summer mosquitos
this being before cellphones
you'd better not pass up a chance
to get help
every house a sanctuary
the snow could go over two feet
before the plows came

by summer

tamarack stood straight and narrow
etching out a dark green line
holding up the horizon
as the land would speak
for all the lonely
played out
going to seed

--- e b bortz