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Murray's pomes

This version was saved 14 years, 6 months ago View current version     Page history
Saved by Steven Marx
on September 20, 2009 at 2:09:48 pm
 

1.

 

courtenay- whitehorse

september 8

 

    starting

 

morning bus departure

without nineteen year paddling mate

leaves emptiness to start

but quickly fades

as excitement rises

by just fitting on ferry

and avoiding rush hour panic

that gets to airport in time

for nine left standing lift off

    -

reconnection takes over

check in wait time

before air flight meal

slips back into twentieth century

small town memories

where white horses

pull into gold rush saloon

and home town visit beer

washes down

in home town television surround

before late dinner

ends with stories

of crushed creative impulses

and distorted arm length photos

 

2.

 

whitehorse – squanga creek

september 9

 

    day one

 

breakfast waiting before arrival

of big ears on his holiness

occurs when positive thinking breaks out

and is shot down

by creative mayhem

as it really starts

with superstore tackle shop

canadian tire liquor quest

    -

rendezvous up north

before johnson’s crossing starting point

allows over planning

for no stove quinoa onion

steak cooking

at not listed perfect campsite

where waiting for fish to be caught

delays social gratification

long enuf to satisfy

 

3.

 

squanga creek – km 119

september 10

 

    haiku

 

endless hours paddling

ran aground on hidden rocks

wheat grass plains above

 

4.

 

km 119 – o’brien’s bar

september 11

 

    jobwadhi

 

jobwadhi morning stretches

sets off in time

for downstream minimal pull tailwind

before greyling catch

ends power evening

at o’brien’s bar where juniper berry

log cabin remains

and solid lined three inch tailings pump block

are left to rust together

in burnt teslin forests

under cut bank shortening hours

of late summer days

 

5.

 

o’brien’s bar - hootalinua

september 12

 

    russell

 

nine slice loaf

at new travel discovery mason landing

where pair of stubbies

line up past memories

with  cleaning dinner necessity

before catching  more                                             

to cook at hootalinqua

while passing kayak

and stranded teslin native

slips into evening rain

before it starts

 

6.

 

hootalinqua – big salmon river

september 13

 

    big salmon

 

sixty kilometre river travel

each day

needs organized eight hours

depending not on when it starts

or how much paddling

is done

or how many stops are made

when rivers merge

to become big salmon point

and drift on by

getting so much closer

to where it all ends

too soon

 

7.

 

big salmon river – little salmon reserve

september 14

 

    little salmon

 

frozen morning clear sky

burns off foggy cover

but still prevents early swim

and sets us off

to fish th day away

with largest grayling

first cast

and many more

at beaver dam deep spot

    -

to arrive

after raft women fantasies

with sunshine afternoon swim

and swamp grass camp rejection

at best site possible

for eight o’clock arrival

giving mealtime at nine

as set up speed develops

to process what is needed

    -

stories of storms on lake labarge

from keplar kayaker with no sleeping bag

and fully equipped others

puts nightly service reading

of cremation of sam mcgee

into understandable context

 

8.

 

coal mine campsite - whitehorse

september 15

 

    gambling

 

to see hear nothing more

than grouse thumping eagle screeching

raises question of whether hunting season

is known instinctively

by yukon wildlife

    -

needing to wait

for fog to rise

before setting off

means days shorten more

than earth cools

causing echoes to rise

in time with four more eddy pool grayling

caught by another hooked gambling angler

before arriving as close

to where all is planned

to end

without realizing

 

9.

 

coal mine campsite - whitehorse

september 16

 

    cinnamon buns

 

end by figgering

total impact of zunoquoa north

as teslin nine

learn hunting techniques

from forty year veteran

as spirit house

says goodbye

    -

changed colours

two weeks later

shows expanse beyond

motorcycle momma’s cinnamon buns

and porcupine quill rest stop

winding down

at same place that it started

leaving only meandering memories

to reinforce what is known

to all

 

10.

 

whitehorse - courtenay

september 17

 

    home

 

enuf time

for final street walking

museum gift shop souvenirs

and sort out finances

with minimal costs

for ten days

of beyond reach river refuge

enables satisfied soar away

with dreams beyond

for next year

 

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