Thanksgiving

          i

This way, the ancient ebb, first wave:

when white foam tickled the drowsy sands

between toes of land's restless lads;

when whisper of time world

stirred heart and feet to drift from homes

to soils less intransigent and old,

the weigh of anchors the sounding

of mothers lovers pretty maids

perched upon wire of misty grief

as fathers sons last chances slipped off

from the western shore, swallowed up

before eyes could would relinquish

the peaked cap of the setting sun

sinking low into the cold sea.

          ii

I carry the ache of the long wake

across tumultuous waters to

the first stone step of a fresh world.

In my blood the blood of a dream

of finding newborn destiny

on which to build again what once

seemed every man's god given

covenant. The hard sown seeds

of a nation baked from searing

sweat of ore wheat and lumber, jacks

of every tinker's tailored trade,

are the seeds of my own making

of a nation that stands today

in the shadow of its bakers.

          iii

There was a time in this fair land

when the rivers sped stripling dreams

across mighty lakes golden

glebe of a majestic order

to blue mountain tops unblemished--

long before any man's progress

spoke of ways to mend his nature's

need for fencing a universe--

the august eagle soared pacific skies

never ending tides of antlers

roaming virgin swales from shore

to shore, the song of timber wolves

resplendent in the returned silence.

There was a time in this fair land.

Ken e Bujold

© 2022

Reviews

[Troy Dean]

wonderful Ken, after the weight and toil of the 2nd verse the last creates the emergence of such a beautiful lift.

[Patricia Wedel]

dearest Ken… I am touched deeply by your verses.. as this Thanksgiving is only desperate Longings for clean Rivers with Fish and “My Country Tis of Thee”… free with Rain Forests and Wolves. The Great Spirit Abides in Our 💜 Hearts. tenderly, Pat

[Ken e Bujold]

thanks pat. up here in the north, we celebrated it last week.

[Patricia Wedel]

I heard it is snowing in Michigan… chilly here in Virginia.. Pat

[Betty Hermelee]

beautifully crafted poem showing us how the universe came to be...and how it was then.... with vivid imagery and a well told tale...and unspoiled world resplendent with "a majestic order".... and the rest is history... once an unblemished universe.... one with hard, honest people doing their work, in a pristine environment....very well done, loved your words....
Best, Betty

[Ken e Bujold]

thank you for stopping by and for the kind review Betty

[Betty Hermelee]

You’re very welcome Ken.
Best, B

[softlyfall]

Effortless to completely be absorbed by, so beautiful in the ebb and flow of the sounds themselves. This is nearly flawless and also fascinating, theme- wise, because you have a very renaissance frame of reference, with knowledge about so many things, and this adds depth.

[Ken e Bujold]

thanks for kind words Soft. glad u enjoyed