Bennett's Cottage
by Donna Bamford
In the Ottawa River,
an island,
black pine trees,
wind-weathered,
silhouetted against gray-fog sky,
a cottage built in 1919
stone fireplace,
pine walls,
photographs in sepia
from another lifetime
the sound only of water lapping against rock
and lonely wind sawing through the pines
the mist rising slowly
from the river
to reveal more islands
lost in time.
Birdsong
At night around the fireplace
tales of other rendezvous
other Thanksgiving dinners
cooked in a wood stove,
pumpkin pie, Canadian wine
Behold the dawn,
Quebec the other side,
Today we will go
to les Chutes de Coulonge,
a red-covered bridge, poignant,
tomorrow we will scatter family ashes.
No palm trees here
only plumed black pines
red maple leaves
the lap of cold steel blue waves
against gray granite rocks
and yet it is paradise to me
the call of the wind
through the pines
blueberry lined paths
ethereal mists rising from the waters,
the flight of Canada geese against the morning sky,
birch trees, sympathique,
a paradise of rock and pine and river
that I had dreamt of once in a wistful dream
that I had looked for forever
and there it was
as in a wistful dream
volume 10(6)
This poem is copyright © 2006,
Donna Bamford, all rights reserved.
Find more poems by Donna Bamford.
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