Autumn on Auke Bay Harbor
Autumn on Auke Bay Harbor
Joints twinge in cool muskeg dusk.
The softball whistles past third.
Beer sprays over the winners of the tourney.
Jig to fiddles until the lights turn on.
Get a cab. Take off sweatshirt smelling
like trailer and boat. Flip on Gastineau
Channel channel and crash.
Whining violin on the tube, water lapping
against the hull. Get up before the raven
to catch late sockeyes. A pole, some rusted
lures, dry deer meat and mustard on bread.
Grandpa liked his porcupine stew upon return
to camp. Sinew and driftwood imprint
on the tundra. Wet wool sleeves shake loose
snow from branches. They'd loudly shuffle
their feet outside sod homes to announce
arrival. Seasons wake up inside the marrow,
nothing settled, like the first day at school.
