Sunday, October 19, 2014

The Mysterious Incident of Salmon during Autumn-time


October, Annual Sockeye Salmon Run, Adam's River, BC Canada 


This river is our primal mother
She beckons to us every year to spawn 
from Pacific Ocean, we hear her call like no other

We swim upstream against the swift waters
circling mountains to age-old forests drawn
by this river, she is our primal mother

Here, the mule deers & black bears wander 
Here, bald eagles & ospreys fly high, we return
from Pacific Ocean, we hear her call like no other

Coloring our skin red & roboust as summer
Into her arms, we lay down our heads come dawn
This river is our primal mother

She, who nourishes our offspring under
wise eyes of cottonwood trees.  She, whom we lean on-
from Pacific Ocean, we hear her call like no other

Gathered in one kinship, my brothers & sisters
hear the same natal beat pushing us on 
To this river, our primal mother
from Pacific Ocean, we hear her call like no other


The Adams River run occurs every year, but every fourth year (called a "dominant" year), the numbers are much higher. 2010 was the most recent dominant run. According to Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the Fraser River sockeye run of 2010 was the largest since 1913, numbering an estimated 34 million fish.

Posted for Imaginary Garden for Real Toads - Mini-Challenge by Kerry - In other words
and Poets United - Thanks for the visit ~ 

Photo credit:   here

32 comments:

  1. You have allowed the reader a glimpse of this river, Grace, and now I hear her call as well. And, oh how I love sockeye!

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  2. This is really amazing.you know here our sea is if Pacific ocean and this year happens curious things too!

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  3. Love the lightness with which you have created this Villanelle.. it's like the salmon dancing.. truly a nature's wonder..

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  4. This is such a fascinating event and I like where you tool the prompt, as well as your modification of the title. I love what your third stanza shows of Canada. Have a great Sunday!

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  5. The journey back home, to their roots! What a tedious thing it is, but the little creature keeps moving.

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  6. What an amazing poem, Grace! The villanelle form is perfectly suited to the subject and the voice of the salmon rings true. Your beautiful descriptive style is showcased here.

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  7. deft handling of the form to describe such a unique natural phenomenon. I have never seen anything like that. wonderous.

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  8. Quite the journey from beginning to end and wow, that is a lot of fish

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  9. Nature Herself is so mysterious so are Her children...love the call of the river and a strange response to the call...beautifully captivated in villanelle...

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  10. Oh, yes, a villenelle to help me feel the call and return in ancient cycle of salmon and the motehr! Thank you.

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  11. I love this poem, Grace. The salmon are running here too and I am always awe-struck by the seeming impossibility of them leaping up the rapids - yet some manage to do it, against all odds. Love all of the beautiful images you painted with your words.

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  12. As I read this, I was thinking this poem would be a great way to teach children about this element of nature. Well done...you amaze me with your use of form.

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  13. I've seen the salmon spawning in some of our creeks here in BC, it truly is amazing watching the action that occurs. I've also been present at some of the internal BC runs for kokanee, an inland species that also has a run in the rivers.

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    1. PS - an excellent way to tell the story, too. Neglected to add that.

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  14. It is truly incredible how the salmon make that journey. I watched a documentary on it once and envy those who can see it happen in real life. I loved this piece, Grace.

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  15. Oh,..what a problem for these cold-blooded fish....often a race against time! How pathetic...
    Beautiful lines.
    Enlightened!! I was not aware of this upstream battle....Thanks Grace.

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  16. Great point of view. You captured the run very well.

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  17. I felt a drum beat as we rode this river....
    'Gathered in one kinship, my brothers & sisters
    hear the same natal beat pushing us on
    To this river, our primal mother'

    I loved these truly beautiful. powerful words.

    Donna@LivingFromHappiness

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  18. Salmon rush hour luckily is but once a year. I wonder whether it is like eyeing up a girl on the bus?

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  19. Mmmm...love salmon....~ the poem sounds for me with such unique voice, esp. 3 and 4 stanzas ~ the form of villanelle adding the beauty x

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  20. Our primal mother...brilliant and beautifully created.

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  21. it is pretty amazing the call of nature that they feel...pushing themselves to death so that the next generation can find life...and many wont make it but they will heed the call....

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  22. Grace I liked your recap of the river activities. Thank you.
    We saw similar on our trip to Alaska. I loved to watch salmon jumping up the little rapids. Better still was to see the bear "catch" his fish in the act.
    ..
    ..

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  23. I would love to see this as it happens and wonder if you do? Interesting that every four years there's an increase. Again, left to wonder. Thank you for this! Have a beautiful week.

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  24. The "pull" of nature really is an amazing thing isn't it...?

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  25. This is great writing. I especially like the first-person viewpoint. Well done.

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  26. Beautiful! I love the repetition of the "call."

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  27. Nature nurtured by your words. Beautifully done Grace.

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  28. I've seen the St Johns river in October. My first encounter with a bear, glad he had more of a taste for fish that day. If I had a bottle of wine and soe cheese maybe we could have had lunch though.

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  29. Amazing really!! Thank you fro bringing their story, Grace. I love this, "This river is our primal mother"

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  30. wow...this is stunning. it flows so beautifully; you weaved this form quite perfectly.

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