Sid Thomas
American Duet
1. Mother Lode
Somewhere between past and present, I exist.
Living close to permafrost, trees crack
like pistolshot. I whet my axe
and chop logs, stoke the wood boiler.
A bald eagle circles above.
Soon as the mud squelches, I kill the myth
crank up my hi fi and pan:
blue-collar Springsteen throbs down the creek.
Enough dust in my pockets,
to cause a thirst, I drive into Dawson
dump nuggets on scales at the Midnight Sun -
watch them dissolve in my beer.
Party away the white nights of summer.
Dream of striking the mother lode.
When the temperature’s 40 below,
mosquitoes have vamoosed
and tourists returned to their urban excess
I’ll be snowed up in a trapper’s cabin,
swing my axe 18 hours a day,
spend the long nights cleaning gear,
doing chores. Repeat the same one-sided
conversation. Stare at the calender on the wall...
Page(s) 36
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