This the first poem written in North America. 

 

             The Pleasant Life in Newfoundland

                    Robert Hayman 1628

 

                    The Aire in Newfoundland-land is wholesome, good;

                    The Fire, as sweet as anymade of wood;

                    The Waters, very rich, both salt and fresh;

                    The Earth more rich, you know it is no lesse.

                    Where all are good, Fire Water, Earth, and Aire,

                    What man made of these foure would not live there?

 

                     Sweet Creatures did you truly understand

                     The pleasant life you’d live in Newfound-land

                     You would with teares desire to be brought thither

 

                     I wish you, when you goe, faire wind, faire weather:

                     For if you with the passage can dispence,

                    When you are there, I know you’ll ne’er come thence.

 

                    You say that you would live in Newfound-land,

                    Did not this one thing your conceit withstand;

                    You feare the Winters cold, sharp, piercing ayre.

                    They love it best, that have once wintered there.

                    Winter is there, short, wholesome, shuffling, as ‘tis here.

 

                    Although in clothes, company, building faire,

                    With England, New-found-land cannot compare;

                    Did some know what contentment I found there,

                   Alwayes enough, most times somewhat to spare,

                   With little paines, less toile, and lesser care,

                    Exempt from taxings, il newes, Lawing, feare,

                    If cleane, and warme, no matter what you weare,

                    Healthy, and wealthy, if men carefull are,

                    With much—much more, then I will now declare,

                    (I say) if some wise men knew what this were,

                    (I doe believe) they’d live no other where.

 

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Newfoundland Sayings

 

 

 

 

 

These place names and sayings were written upon the walls of The Battery Hotel where the AGM was held. It was appropriate for a League of poets meeting. It also was an appropriate prologue to the panel on Newfoundland phrasings, rhythms and the attempt by the good old church and upper class to "teach out" these "incorrect" habits was interesting and sounded familiar. Not as vicious as what was done to First Nations people, nonetheless, it was further proof of what harm can be done when those in power attempt to "purify" the language, the world. Thank goodness that the people of NOSE COVE, BLOW ME DOWN, DILDO, WEST SAINT MODEST, HEART'S DELIGHT, TOO GOOD ARM and others who "WORK HARDER THAN A ONE LEGGED MAN IN AN ASS KICKING CONTEST" and "WHO CAN TALK THE LEGS OFF A TABLE," had the ability to resist. We are all the richer for their resistance.

 

They have imaginations and wit

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Land

 

Land first appears as a mirage

Something hoped for, for so long

So absent that the vision is not to be trusted

Even when shouted from the crow’s nest.

 

Land crops from the sea

As the shoots of prayers I have planted

In the liquid soil which we

Have ploughed these past weeks

 

Land emerges from the sea

Like the green tongue of the monster

On whose stormy back for nigh

Forever we've been tossed.

 

Land swims out to meet us

As a firm handshake

To welcome and draw us

Into its rocky-firm bosom.

 

Land! I am in my natural element.

And though it is an alien place

I am sure of my steps again

And have a settled stomach.

 

Land, not unlike my own beloved Isle,

Which the sun first blesses, which the heavens

Keep watch over, and which the sea embraces

Like a shimmering diamond necklace.

 

Land, that upon first sight

Blankets me in memories and longing,

At night becomes the battlefield of the Borealis

Upon which gods’ blades spark these brilliant flames.

 

God I give thanks for deliverance

And ask Thee to bide with me

In my new endless wilderness

In this New found land.

 

From In The Worshipful Company of Skinners

 

*********************************************

 

--------St. Johns 2008--------

The League of Canadian Poets

Annual General Meeting

 

 

Man of many hats

 

 

 

 

 

Good Advice?

Seat of power

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alley Oops

 

 

 

 

 

Heal the sole

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

St. Johns

A city that is a town. A town that smells of the ocean, feels like it will be towed away any minute by the ships anchored to it.

Foggy first couple of days, a gray cat curled about the town. Woke in the middle of the night and stared at the cats’ eyes looking over the harbour. Felt the moist mist.

The last province to join the country, the last province I had not visited. Only the Yukon and The Territories are left. Of course all the visits are just promecards of bits of the places. I’ll have to comeback for another lifetime (still wouldn’t be enough) to really get to know this huge country. We are still, or could be, explorers of this place.

 

Hidden in wonder and snow, or sudden with summer,

This land stares at the sun in a huge silence

Endlessly repeating something we cannot hear

Inarticulate, arctic,

Not written on by history, empty as paper,

It leans away from the world with songs in its lakes

Older than love, and lost in the miles.

 

F. R. Scott  From Laurentian Shield.

**************************

 

--------Cape Spear--------

Most eastern point in North America. First view of the sun, first view of daylight in North America.

 

They were here

We are here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Old lighthouse aint what she used to be

Look east, look easter, look eastest

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Guard for Thee in WWII

Sexual Geopoetics for Don McKay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

--------MISTAKEN POINT--------

Don McKay gave a talk about geopoetics in which mentioned Mistaken Point as the home of 520 million years old (oldest known in the world) fossils. So off to see the fossils. 

 

Icebergs

Towards the past

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Geopoetics #2 for Don McKay

 

 

 

 

--------Renews--------

 

Renews

 

 

 

Knowing I live in a dark age before history

I watch my wallet and

Am less struck by gunfights in the avenues

Than by the newsie with his dirty pink chapped face

Calling a shabby poet back for his change

 

“Knowing I live in a Dark Age” Milton Acorn

 

 

Renews

 

Sometimes the name fits

Like the fog about The Rock

 

Looking for a place to sleep, we enter

Renews

 

Looking, we come across a man mowing his lawn

who leans in with an open smile as wide as The Rock’s welcome.

Can’t shut her off cause you never know when she’ll start up again.

Points across the bay

 

That there green house be a B&B

No don’t know the name of the road

 

And why would he

he lives here

who needs to know the name

to what you can point to.

 

No one home so I knock on the door just kitty corner.

 

Nah, don’t know where he’s at

but can’t be too far cause

his shed door she be open

but you know he’s no longer doing the business.

 

He comes after me

 

The missus says

There’s one up by the church

what used to be the priest’s house

but she’s fixed up eh.

 

The door is open

but no one’s home.

Across the way is the general store

but is closed on account of it being Sunday

but someone’s outside doing some gardening.

 

You have to excuse my smell but them blackflies is something awful.

 

She gets her husband to open the store

and let us use the phone but no answer.

 

There’s the salmon coloured house that’s self contained

that her daughter from across the way in that house just fixed up and lets. I’ll just get her for you.

 

She comes back by the by with the mother.

 

Can’t reach her, probably out

cause it’s the first nice Sunday eh

and probably she’s up at her friends

but follow me, drive you up there.

 

There’s a good house party happening

and she don’t want to leave.

 

Just go in cause the door she’s open

make yourself at home

I may come by later

but if not, then tomorrow will do

and we’ll settle then. Ok dearie?

There are three bedrooms,

you can try them all. Enjoy eh.

 

She smiles and heads back to her party.

Her mother lead us to the house

and when I ask her, when she might come by

 

There’s no telling once Darlene gets into her wine.

But don’t worry dearie,

if she’s not back by then we’ll settle somehow.

 

Morning after sailing into High Tide Harbour,

we drive back to the mother’s to pay.

 

No need to have done that love,

you could have just left the money in the guest book.

 

Sometimes the name fits

like Renews.