For John, and the farm, the country and his family, that same small town and its neighbors tending the land and their community, its familiar landmarks and services surrounding, that allows one to come home however long they were away.
geese flying home
above the Willow River
as for Our Saviour
a little late before we leave
a funeral in Spring
Country Western from the radio
melt water fills the fields
wait, there's more ...
outside of Sibley County
almost to Le Suer -
a Green Giant greets us
standing on a hill
bare trees, their blunt tops
wore down by the Minnesota River -
Le Traverse De Sioux
" if a guy were smart" he'd say,
looking away
at an object in the distance,
you might look there, too
to see who's there,
or what was comin'
but what he was sayin' ,
was really about you"
his wardrobe was unique
flannel shirts, just red or blue ...
I cant think up a poem
about all those ears of corn
each voice in the choir
on its own, distinct
the congregation, rising
feeling on its feet
it's time to leave
the service is over
all of us together
we lift our keys
and shake them
in the air
John was an outdoors man.
You could always find him there
grading the neighbor's roads
sittin' up on his red tractor
or a tree stand in November
he'd built for some friends
by a corn field above the snow
trolling in his v hull, maybe
little kids with so he'd go slow
and once he took me fishin'
out on the ice, in wind and cold
me, a city boy, we just made a few holes
he left me with a jiggle stick
in a fold up, with Mr Heater
out of the air so I'd be warm
after awhile, a meditation later
'what's that smell' I began to wonder
just like hair and smoke and oil
that Mr Heater it turns out
got too close it burned my jacket
as well the lining and the down
to my embarrassment, something to behold
he come back and had a look
he laughed a little but - i did, too
he made it feel a rite of passage
our gentle laughter
just between he and I
John liked to toast
with a tall brandy seven
if we drank beer
it'd be somethin' old
like Hamm's, Schmidt or Buckhorn
we'd laugh so much it'd just get warm
"well, looks like we better go on in."
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