Old Growth

Jim Larwill

Canadian Shield Chapbooks I.
Text Box: Take me paddle across spirit of my land upon mirrored lakes let me see myself many selves bent over water’s edge our branches weaving us together Roots protecting collective soil. Text Box: long vibrating hellos loon calls insane replies my son upon a rock in youth calls back Civilization four days away he seems more human. Text Box: They say the old growth forest was all floated away - square timbers down spring rivers to build ships for England's War Napoleon - saw logs by rail to build towns in the American west Crazy Horse and all this valley's old growth forest is gone but here in front of me I kneel before this stump and behind the flicker of dense young leaves catch white glimpses of long flowing hair old man with the beard looking almost child-like and all this valley's old growth is gone, Text Box: only there are times when I walk Algonquin trails and a round velvet mound crosses the portage earth a texture of soft ground cork dry, sweet and fragrant asking me to release weight of shoulders rest the canoe by the trail stand firm footed upon an almost hidden circle look skyward to see no sky and for that moment know the slug will pause upon the pinnacle of assent to touch a breathless immortality Text Box: OLD GROWTH Tree stump rot red ochre citadel lichen turrets in bloom moss palisades a castle dissolves six chopped feet across and a hundred years extinct no longer cloud tickling but bursting with life claw root base fingered with flat needled balsam on southern slope single toddler sister shivers in breeze coming off the lake Text Box: up out of the north end of this heritage in decay two birch trees grow high one snapped thirty feet up white paper trunk spiralled with rows of fungus this secondary growth already mature and dying old master of the wood still here her roots becoming soil as small maples seedle up crest of time a brown slug translucent sovereign glistens with regal light as it wonders and wanders an endless domain. Text Box: Silent blue lite evening water fire steams smoke Emerald rock resting this portaged back.