Long Sawmill Poems

The Castle On White Otter Lake

That rustic, old log castle
Stands facing the lake.
Built by hand, by one man
To acknowledge his presence,
In a changing world, he felt
He could not participate in.
And so chose to live like...

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(The memories are simple, living the feeling significant)

After conquering Beamsley Beacon due Southwest,
Rombald’s moor stood, while for centuries
within the valley the minute dwellings
of grey stone, brick and muck.
Main waterway, depending on era
town or sailor beck,...

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Eighteen hundred and three begins U.S. destinies.
Merriwether Lewis and his comrade, William Clark, agrees –
They will go forth, avoid Frenchmen, fighting growling grizzlies.
To find a water trade route that flows west to the Pacific seas.
Louis...

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For my Dad and Mom (Dorothy) on Fathers Day.

 Albin J. Gruhn who passed away at the age of 94 years young. I Love You Dad and I am missing you so much! Robert

When Albin...

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The following is about my beloved father Albin J. Gruhn who passed away at the age of 94 years young. I Love You Dad and I am missing you so much! Robert

When Albin Gruhn got...

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Mom has always loved antiques
I have never asked her why
Perhaps it's the connection to the past
Maybe the craftsmanship
The smell of ancient wood
The curves
The fact that they were built to last

She turned a passion into a...

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The day that we left port, to new horizons we would sail
Knowing the dangers ahead, seafarers in the end we would prevail

Our journey from the Highlands from Inverness my home town
To Brazil in South America...

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Well he wakes up early,
when the sun breaks ‘cross the land.
Then he goes out on the river,
high up on the logs he stands.
For counting twenty years now
he’s been a river-driving man.

And he don’t do anything...

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Let us put together a montage
Of aromas…In our minds

Perhaps of Juicy Fruit gum
Perfume, sweat or of Roses
Of rain on hot pavement
Of tar, surf and the Seaside
Of candies, pastries baking
Of gun smoke…and loam
And any and every...

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My first antiques were bought at an auction after I was divorced
They were inexpensive, great value and talked to me
They gave me comfort at a time when I needed comfort
Using them, they became old familiar...

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(An Addingham Poem)

With the strength of
gentleness, sparrows make love
upon the windowsill,
frigid glass pane pulsates
within the pageant of nature,
numerous battle scared plumage
float wanting, towards earthly cracks
that conceals another world, where
rain and sleet beat down a
forest of...

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April 23rd,
The seductive smoky weed descending from Kabiru swept through my nostril
Cracky creepy shanties sneaking 
Pulsating stench sneering from gutters
Churning and choky smoke oozing from the BRT buses
Area boys bullying
Police officers begging for spiritual currency
Perputuality...

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His knowledge was his untapped wellspring,
After 93 years of learning anew;
He valued knowing something about everything, 
From construction & farming, to baseball & screws. 

Early in life, a dairy farm taught him, 
To think on...

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Why did our fathers’ fence fell
And the fortunes of our motherland thrown into the well?
-Like a veteran midwife with the history of abortions
 We have failed to hatch the golden eggs of our pride and...

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all my life i have wanted to be  a 
papermill mechanic in minnosota.

 i would write short stories on pieces 
of sawdust as they flew through the air.

  my grandfathers diligence would be...

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My father’s timber array arrived on an 
overloaded Diamond Reo flatbed. 
It dumped oak scraps, leafless dead-woods, 
inspiring last metamorphosis to 
warming fires come winter’s weather. 

Empty, truck leaves then heaves 
into a scrubby alley...

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Now An Open Space

Sure had been such a beautiful swan
But pretty soon she will be gone
With feathers which were so white
Now high up heaven this very night.

Return back to us she never will
Swam in pond...

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Love is an all encompassing emotion
Love matters can cause quite a commotion
Jump into the bed with oils, after bath - lotion
Put the lover's leap into the heated motion

Love will grow my avacado seed on the...

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Confidence is a choice,
Preponderance of undue ignorance,
Tethered in tandem to wheels of spiny leathery,
Bumpy hairs click back at a finger’s flick.

Rotations earned from itself, but more,
Tread marks lead the way,
Devouring grounds of consummate cortex,
Until tracings...

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one family
five children..
rabid dog bites dad

death angel visits
widow left to fend...
children's life hard

one pat of butter
slipped through four fluffy biscuits..
poverty

child works picking peas
goes to the field everyday...
fabric bought for dress  

My mother's father was...

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With parties abounding
Why stay home alone
Your Mon and your Father
Can’t see that you’ve grown

No talent or accent
Are you really quite plain
No thunder or lightning
Just a 13 year rain

The pressure to join in
It’s really intense
Obtain the...

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Think of us oft, when you travel afar,
On orders protecting, lives we enjoy;
You and your pals, family superstars,
We miss you every time, you must deploy.

And while you’re away, the kids will move on,
School, sports, church—and...

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