Haiku Number 12

wood rod beats wild rice into forked pole pushed canoe spilled grain next year’s crop Long Tooth June 20, 2016 Poet's notes: Among the American indian tribes who lived alongside the rivers, there is a tradition of harvesting the "wild rice" that grows in the meanders of the river where the water moves more slowly. You gently push your canoe into the fields of wild rice, bend the rice over the side of your canoe and beat it lightly with a 20-30 inch round wooden stick. The rice that is ripe falls into the boat and the green rice says on till it is harvested later or falls into the river to reseed the next years crop. This wild rice sells for around $100 per pound so a skilled harvester can make a lot of money doing this. To learn more about "Wild rice" harvesting go to http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/regulations/wildrice/index.html