For My Uncle on Mothers Day

[Cate]

For My Uncle on Mothers Day

The bones down his back
feel like stones. They remind me
of throwing rocks into
the beaver pond. “To make it skip,
you need them flat,” he'd said.
I didn’t care if they skipped,
liked the round ones better.
Round like his vertebrae.
Round with some weight felt
better in the hand,
felt better to throw.

He was so big in those days,
the days of learning how rocks sink.

I’d follow him through the swamp looking
for trilliums or fiddle heads,
killing time on a hot summers day.
There were railroad tracks, wild flowers
and glass bottles - we were explorers
of the cattails and pussy-willows.

Once we found the skull of a bovine,
it’s horns pointing up through dried muck,
(no body – no reason for it to be there)*
it just was and so we left it to the
quiet whispers of the trees and the
splash of a frog entering the pond.

I tighten my embrace.
The bones down my uncle’s back
a line of stones.




*(I think that line is coming out)

[imaginary friend]

Lovely work Cate,

Sensitive and powerful. I especially liked:

He was so big in those days,
the days of learning how rocks sink.

I know you like to play with 'N'. The 'N' in this poem seems to care more than an imaginary person would.
(I don't want to know. Either way, keep me guessing...)

I am back on Cortes Island, three ferry rides from mainland Vancouver, for a week. This is a place of extraordinary calm and serenity – I'm trying to surrender, but find that it takes practice...

[mat james]

I love it, Cate.

MatbbgJ

[Violet]

.. I'm liking this poem, too, Cate.. like a long held secret contained, somehow.

.. I.F., so glad you have some time off. [you deserve it]

[hi Mat]

v. x

[abby]

Count me in too. I love this, Cate.

[Cate]

Thank you Imaginary, Mat, Violet and Abby. xx

I'm trying to surrender, but find that it takes practice...

<little grin>

Imaginary - Cortes Island looks absolutely beautiful, I would love to visit there one day. It looks like good place to recharge again.
This week I'm working by a tiny little lake about 45 minutes from Toronto - It's a pretty sweet place to work. I'm jealous of the fella who works there year round.

[imaginary friend]

Hi Cate (Hi Abby) (Hi Violet)

The view from the deck on Sunday evening when we arrived...

[Cate]

ohhh now that's a nice greeting!
The ripples seem to be starting from your deck, did you dip your toes in?

xx