(2)

Waking Up in Sitka

Staying at Mary’s house once more, this time
in an apartment below,
the view south reaches to the distant sea.
To the west, Mount Edgecumbe stands proud,
its flat top, snow-streaked,
reminding him of the eruptive power beneath.
To the east, the calm water under the bridge to
Japonski Island and the airport,
broken occasionally by a skiff’s hustling
here and there.
The ravens are busy making noise
in their search for food.
A seaplane takes off from the harbor,
the high pitch of the engine, drowning out,
for the moment,
the ravens’ throaty calls.
The sky, endlessly blue, and the sun, rising to
its full brilliance,
both promising something for him,
a world of infinite possibilities
and the warmth and light to help him get there
and stay there,
in that place where love dwells and joy
has a field day.

 

Endnote: I stayed at Mary’s house over Christmas, 2012 while she was in Mexico. She has since put in a full apartment which is perfect for my two-week stay this time, six years later. Her house is located on the hillside two streets above Katlian Street which runs along Sitka Harbor and so affords a splendid view.

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