POEM - VISIONS

 

 

Larry bennett                                                                                     

 

 

VISIONS ALONG THE RIVER        

   

 

The old Ford creaked to a halt

 

The dust whirlies settled slowly back

 

On the sun baked gravel road

 

Our shoes exploded little puffs of powder

 

As my Father and I crossed to the bank

 

Feel the soft shade of poplars - cool 

 

Batoche

 

The vista

 

Green – cool – muddy

 

The Saskatchewan

 

Sweet smell of willows

 

Magpies swoop with weird calls

 

Overgrown rifle pits

 

                         Such a day

 

That spring

 

Cree – Metis - Dakota

 

Louis Reil – Dumont 

 

Steamer Northcote – Gatling 

 

Middleton

 

 

 

 

Painful hearts – Red Coats– confusion

 

Facing the many barreled serpent

 

Running – stumbling- rolling

 

Shame – pride

 

Ghosts

 

We dig for arrowheads – spent shells

 

I kick at a brown root

 

Not a root

 

We unearth a - rusted Winchester

 

Father – wide eyed – hands shaking

 

Nine year old boy – hot – tired - bored

 

Best case – a piece of flint

 

A complete rifle

 

A miraculous find

 

 

 

Larry bennett