This week's poem is a new piece titled "HeartStones."
Once the river settles down, we'll be throwing in the drift boat, raft or canoe at least once a week. Our floats take us past bald eagles and ospreys, sandhill cranes and great blue herons. We stop at sprawling, rock-strewn shoals where my cousin and friends perform the balletic dance of fly-fishing. Not being much of a fisherman, I instead wander the banks, trying to spot new birds like the water ouzel or looking for pieces of petrified wood and heartstones.
Heart-shaped stones seem to be fairly common along the Yellowstone. They may be common on any rocky-shored river for all I know, but this is the only place where I've found them. There's something magic about them. Something romantic and nostalgic. Archaic and arcane. Folks around here have them decorating window sills, bookshelves and potted plants. They are used as gifts when visiting a grave, or given to friends, relatives and lovers. The first one I found, I brought back to Michigan and gave to my mom; partly a birthday present and partly as a talisman to see her through the radiation treatments.
It seems to have worked. Geologic medicine. Why not?
Music this week is the Bobby Watson composition, "Bit a Bittadose" from Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers Big Band Live at Montreux and Northsea, recorded in 1980. This album features Robin Eubanks (Trombone), Bill Pierce (Tenor Sax), Boby Watson (Alto Sax), James Williams (Piano), Charles Fambrough (Bass), Art Blakey (Drums), Kevin Eubanks (Guitar), Branford Marsalis (Alto & Baritone Sax), Wynton Marsalis (Trumpet) and John Ramsey (Drums).
Listen to the full episode here:
reportfromthemountains08.mp3
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