WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.150 align:middle line:90% 00:00:02.150 --> 00:00:05.900 align:middle line:84% This poem is written in a form called a pantoum, where there 00:00:05.900 --> 00:00:07.370 align:middle line:90% are four lines in each stanza. 00:00:07.370 --> 00:00:09.500 align:middle line:84% And line two and four drop down, and they 00:00:09.500 --> 00:00:13.370 align:middle line:84% repeat as line one and three in the next stanza. 00:00:13.370 --> 00:00:17.150 align:middle line:84% So this works well for a memory poem 00:00:17.150 --> 00:00:19.100 align:middle line:84% because you go over and over something 00:00:19.100 --> 00:00:23.550 align:middle line:84% in the past in your memory, and the repetition seems to work. 00:00:23.550 --> 00:00:24.900 align:middle line:90% It's called "Northern Elegy." 00:00:24.900 --> 00:00:27.850 align:middle line:90% 00:00:27.850 --> 00:00:33.370 align:middle line:84% The lake shown emerald far past the northern cities. 00:00:33.370 --> 00:00:37.520 align:middle line:84% Overhead mosquitoes wield in clouds. 00:00:37.520 --> 00:00:40.910 align:middle line:84% Beyond the road, we traveled Huron's edge. 00:00:40.910 --> 00:00:46.120 align:middle line:84% And there spread our island, a green thumbprint. 00:00:46.120 --> 00:00:49.750 align:middle line:84% In the sky, a cloud of mosquitoes wheeled overhead. 00:00:49.750 --> 00:00:52.900 align:middle line:84% How small the house looked as we approached. 00:00:52.900 --> 00:00:56.080 align:middle line:84% And there spread our island, a green thumb print. 00:00:56.080 --> 00:01:00.820 align:middle line:84% A thousand islands clustered around a lone porch. 00:01:00.820 --> 00:01:03.250 align:middle line:90% How small the house looked. 00:01:03.250 --> 00:01:06.610 align:middle line:84% We approached and striped sunlight cut the air. 00:01:06.610 --> 00:01:07.900 align:middle line:90% The wind blew us. 00:01:07.900 --> 00:01:11.230 align:middle line:84% A thousand islands clustered around our porch 00:01:11.230 --> 00:01:15.760 align:middle line:84% as the white wood boat carved its arrow in water. 00:01:15.760 --> 00:01:18.220 align:middle line:84% Striped sunlight cut through the air. 00:01:18.220 --> 00:01:20.500 align:middle line:90% The wind blew us. 00:01:20.500 --> 00:01:25.060 align:middle line:84% It's gone now, the island, yet it's fixed in my mind. 00:01:25.060 --> 00:01:27.070 align:middle line:84% The white wood boat that carved an arrow 00:01:27.070 --> 00:01:29.470 align:middle line:84% in the water, our docks weathered boards, 00:01:29.470 --> 00:01:35.530 align:middle line:84% the boathouse, the misshapen pine, it's all gone now, 00:01:35.530 --> 00:01:37.660 align:middle line:90% yet it's fixed in my mind. 00:01:37.660 --> 00:01:40.540 align:middle line:84% The island of green shuttered house with a screened 00:01:40.540 --> 00:01:45.070 align:middle line:84% in porch, the docks weathered boards, boathouse, 00:01:45.070 --> 00:01:47.830 align:middle line:90% misshapen pine. 00:01:47.830 --> 00:01:50.320 align:middle line:84% Up a long rocky hill, the steps of stone 00:01:50.320 --> 00:01:52.870 align:middle line:84% edge the fence to a green shuttered house 00:01:52.870 --> 00:01:57.070 align:middle line:84% with a screened porch door open to the photo of the Prince 00:01:57.070 --> 00:02:00.850 align:middle line:90% of Wales and Wallace Warfield. 00:02:00.850 --> 00:02:04.870 align:middle line:84% Up along rocky hill, steps of stone edge the fence. 00:02:04.870 --> 00:02:09.220 align:middle line:84% Near the living room's west wall, a touch of nobility 00:02:09.220 --> 00:02:14.220 align:middle line:84% grace the photo of the Prince of Wales and Wallace Warfield. 00:02:14.220 --> 00:02:18.360 align:middle line:84% The Ouija board rested next to a stack 00:02:18.360 --> 00:02:22.260 align:middle line:84% of "Life" magazines near the living room's west wall. 00:02:22.260 --> 00:02:27.210 align:middle line:84% A touch of nobility graced its mysterious alphabet. 00:02:27.210 --> 00:02:31.030 align:middle line:84% We hope for signs of a happy future. 00:02:31.030 --> 00:02:35.970 align:middle line:84% The Ouija board rested next to the stack of Life Magazines. 00:02:35.970 --> 00:02:41.250 align:middle line:84% On the desktop lay a birch bark basket with a beaver. 00:02:41.250 --> 00:02:45.540 align:middle line:84% Its mysterious visage hoping for signs of a happy future 00:02:45.540 --> 00:02:47.970 align:middle line:90% made by a local Indian woman. 00:02:47.970 --> 00:02:51.360 align:middle line:90% Her face patterned with scars. 00:02:51.360 --> 00:02:53.940 align:middle line:84% The birch bark basket of beavers sat 00:02:53.940 --> 00:02:57.460 align:middle line:84% on a desk made from porcupine quills 00:02:57.460 --> 00:03:01.300 align:middle line:84% and dried bark by a local Indian woman whose face 00:03:01.300 --> 00:03:02.800 align:middle line:90% patterned with scars. 00:03:02.800 --> 00:03:09.070 align:middle line:84% The face of the animal stared up from the basket made 00:03:09.070 --> 00:03:11.890 align:middle line:84% from porcupine quills and dried bark and hours 00:03:11.890 --> 00:03:16.990 align:middle line:84% of weaving, a thing of beauty in her broken shack piece 00:03:16.990 --> 00:03:21.550 align:middle line:84% together, pierced and sewn with Rawhide. 00:03:21.550 --> 00:03:27.630 align:middle line:84% When you opened it, you smelled pine smoke and sweet grass. 00:03:27.630 --> 00:03:32.850 align:middle line:84% The woman had labored to make love visible, piece together, 00:03:32.850 --> 00:03:36.090 align:middle line:90% pierced and sewn with rawhide. 00:03:36.090 --> 00:03:40.680 align:middle line:84% When I look into the past, I see this one small thing 00:03:40.680 --> 00:03:44.880 align:middle line:84% beyond the road, beyond Huron's edge, 00:03:44.880 --> 00:03:48.900 align:middle line:84% above the lake that was emerald and far 00:03:48.900 --> 00:03:52.460 align:middle line:90% past the northern cities. 00:03:52.460 --> 00:03:55.000 align:middle line:90%