Port aux Basques in September - poem

 

I have visited Newfoundland only once, crossing from Nova Scotia to Port aux Basques in June 2005 on the elegant but now-scrapped MV Caribou. Such beauty!

 

The 18^th century archaism of “New-Found Land” is deliberate.

 

Lawrence Hall

Mhall46184@aol.com 

https://hellopoetry.com/lawrence-hall/

poeticdrivel.blogspot.com

 

Port aux Basques in September

 

“Only a fish storm, no threat to anyone…”

 

- a weather guy south of the 49th

 

To our weather guy there is nothing north of Maine

He has never seen Port aux Basques

With summer snow still bright along the hills

Above pot-holey Canada 1 (mind the moose)

 

(“Only a fish storm, no threat to anyone…”)

 

He has never heard of Cape Ray or the Newfie Bullet

Or seen the little fishing boats tacking in at dawn

Or the astrolabe that says to the voyager

“Now here at last is your dear New-Found Land”

 

(“Only a fish storm, no threat to anyone…”)

 

He will never mourn the wreckage and loss

Because for him there is nothing north of Maine

 

(“Only a fish storm, no threat to anyone…”)

 

Town of Channel-Port aux Basques | Canada's Ferry Gateway to Newfoundland