A Man and a Boy

The canoe moves swiftly
Through the calm water
A man paddling in the stern
A boy in the bow
Holding a thick green
Fishing line
With a daredevil lure
They play cribbage
In the cool of the evening
On the kitchen table
With a worn deck of cards
And the boy wins again
After a big fish dinner
And blueberry pie
The home is a squared log building
Beneath huge white pine trees
The water is from a pump
Light from a coal oil lamp
Cooking on a wood burning stove
Tonight we go to
The reservation
Visit friends and play with the kids
It’s not very far
The paddling is easy
The moon is bright
And shining on the water
There is a lumber camp
Up the South Arm
Due for a fire check
The boat leaves early
Traveling fast
There will be dessert and tea
It’s a bright sunny morning
Warm and clear
Just right for swimming and
Having a wash
Then climb up the hill
To visit my grandmothers grave

They came for us today
To take us to town
There is bad news
And the world makes a change
For the man and the boy
And it will never be the same