I haven’t had much time for writing on the blog lately, but I felt the need to post something useful. So below is a compilation of some of the poems that have appeared on this site over the last year or so. Between them, I think they express most of the emotions that the good folks working to save their communities and their landscape have been feeling. I hope you enjoy.
Just a reminder: If you enjoy this sort of poetry, copies of my book, “Words On The Wind–One Man’s Poems And Prose On The Battle To Save Rural Maine From Industrial Wind Development” are still available. The signed, numbered, limited first edition, with full color photographs, is just $12.00, shipped anywhere in the world. The poems below are not from the book.
DC
Mega Fauna
Have you ever known a place where the deer went over 300 pounds, and were sometimes chased by ‘coyotes’ that were on the upper side of 100 pounds? Have you ever seen a place that could grow moose to three quarters of a ton? Have you ever walked in the tracks of a 400 pound bear, or stalked through the same woods as a man sized cat?
I have.
If you knew of such a place, would you cherish it as a special gift?
I do.
If this place was a hidden gem, all but unknown to the outside world, would you consider yourself privileged to live there?
I did.
If such a place were threatened with destruction, would you do everything in your power to save it?
I would.
And still, the people ‘in charge,’ just don’t get it……..or simply don’t care……………….
Where The Wild Things Go
I have to ask—when will it end?
Will I be among the last to know the things that I know?
Will future genrations be left to wonder—where did the Wild Things go?
When I was a child
I was drawn to the wild
And I was allowed to go
Where the Wild Things go
When I was a kid
I did as they did
And was lucky to grow
Like the Wild Things grow
As a young man
I was a part of the Plan
And was privaleged to know
What the Wild Things know
As I grew old
My heart became cold
At how little men cared
About how the Wild Things fared
The destruction I’ve seen
Is terribly mean
I’ve watched my fellow Man
Destroy my Wild Clan
Now I walk the hills
Looking at the wind mills
And I need to know…..
Where, oh where, did the Wild Things go
Springtime In The Mountains
Outside the peepers are a peeping
As inside I lay sleeping
Through the cellar walls the water’s seeping
While from the fields the snow is creeping
The Sun is getting strong
And the days are getting long
Nothing could be wrong
As the birds sing their spring song
I went out without knowing
Just where I was going
But the South Wind was a blowing
And the brook was strongly flowing
On the Mountain I walked up
And I took my old tin cup
To the spring hole with my pup
On spring water for to sup
We had a look around
Me and my old hound
We know every sight and sound
On this piece of Sacred Ground
This is a special place
And as one who holds an Ace
The look upon my face
Was one of simple Grace
I wandered and I walked
And to my dog I talked
And he never once balked
As through the woods we stalked
This place it was pure
And I was always sure
That no matter how much I mature
It would still endure
The trees and rocky ledges
And the brooks along the edges
The high Mountain sedges
Purer than the garden hedges
The birds and honey bees
And a hundred kinds of trees
To wander through as I please
Or as a place to pray upon my knees
The deer and the black bear
And my friend the hare
They all live up there
With room enough to spare
I was contemplating
This place where there is no hating
Only simple waiting
For the hungers that need sating
When the ground began to shake
And the Earth began to quake
No sense did it make
And I knew not which path to take
The animals all began to run
As if chased with a gun
It wasn’t any fun
As we fled into the sun
I awoke from my dream
With a frightful scream
And just across the stream
I saw the construction team
They had tractors and big trucks
And we were sitting ducks
This projects was big bucks
And we were out of luck
My home would be destroyed
This was why they were employed
The Mountains that I’d enjoyed
Would be killed as the turbines were deployed
It’s springtime here in Maine
And I can feel the pain
For through the misting rain
I can see what will never be again
Why Should I Care?
I know it’s wrong
But I really don’t care
It isn’t my home
I don’t live up there
I’m making money
Stealing Tax Payer’s green
And I don’t live there
You know what I mean
I know it’s wrong
To kill bats and birds
To slaughter them all
Like the old cattle herds
Lemmings and Mayflies
Deer and Bear too
I won’t let them keep me
From what I want to do
I know it’s wrong
To mud up the brooks
But we don’t give a damn
Me, and my fellow crooks
The Trout and the Salmon
And the Fisherman too
They’ve no right to keep me
From what I want to do
I know it’s wrong
To de-value the land
But to torment the locals
Is all part of the plan
If they can’t live there
Then they’ll move away
With no neighbors to scream
LURC is easy to sway
I know it’s wrong
To destroy local jobs
But I don’t give a damn
For those local slobs
I’ll just tell them ‘it’s green’
And smile and grin
I’ll promise them jobs
While their children grow thin
I know it’s wrong
To steal Public Money
But this new wind scam
Is all milk and honey
I can rape Mountains
And defile the hills
As long as I say
‘it stops oil spills’
I know it’s wrong
To lie and to cheat
But it’s my turn to suck
From the Government teat
The Tax Payers pay
And so does the land
By calling it ‘green’
I get a free hand
I know it’s wrong
To call a thing ‘green’
That destroys the environment
It’s really obscene
But we simply don’t care
My partners and me
We’re just here for the money
As I’m sure you can see
I know it’s wrong
To betray Public trust
But you must understand
How for power I lust
Now we’ve got to hurry
We’ve got to be slick
I’m afraid that the people
Are on to our trick
I know it’s wrong
But I really don’t care
It isn’t my home
I don’t live up there
If They’ve Only A Place Left To Stand
My Mountains are all disappearing
The places that I’ve always loved
I fear that the time it is nearing
When People and Mountains get shoved
Get shoved and get beaten and bullied
Get stepped on and then thrown aside
To watch as our Homeland is sullied
The land where our Forefathers died
The land where our Forefathers died
To give us The Land Of The Free
They fought with great courage and honor and pride
And left a great legacy for you and for me
But it seems we have now dropped the ball
Let the dishonest and corrupt take the lead
They don’t care about what’s best for all
These men that are driven by greed
All they care for is money
Money, and power, of course
It’s not that they want all the honey
Just that portion that you claim as yours
These men all are corrupt, each of them liars and cheats
It’s not about wind, oil, gas, solar, coal
They just want to keep their high seats
While you cower with your begging bowl
They defile the land and corrupt the laws
That our Constitution had once guaranteed
They lick their jowls and rub their paws
Thinking of People in need
For a People in need can be controlled
Self sufficiency can’t be allowed
The peasants each must do as they’re told
Must always go along with the crowd
They must shut down the thinker
Stifle all questions and thought
Only then can men tinker
With values that couldn’t be bought
When the majority have all fallen in line
Then they attack the land
Blow up the Mountains and cut the Pine
So that we’ve no place to make our stand
For Free Men will always fight
For God, Country, Family and Land
Some will always stand up and do right
If they’ve only a place left to stand
So those that wish to control us
Must first be in control of the land
And what better way than to show us
That they have a plan that is grand
If only we’ll blow up the Mountains
To put up their wind machines
The money will spew forth from fountains
And we can all happily call ourselves ‘Greens’
Forget that we will destroy the lands
And poison all the waters
Don’t mention that we’ve bound the hands
Of our Sons and Daughters
Just go along and do your part
Tell yourself that you’re saving the Earth
While all along you know in your heart
That your handlers are writhing in mirth
This is what the most will do
This is what your handlers need
If you’ll just do what you’re told to do
Then they can feed their greed
But some will always stand and fight
For God, Country, Family and Land
Some will always stand for right
If they’ve only a place left to stand………………..
If You Want Things To Be Right
If you want things to be right
Then you need to join the fight
Don’t be a Big Wind pawn
When the battle lines are drawn
Come join us in Augusta
I know by now you musta
Heard the battle cry
And you know it’s do, or die
We must all do our part
To prove that it’s not smart
To blast our Mountain tops
To erect these hopeless flops
It isn’t worth the money
That we’re flushing down the dunny
They build these great big wrecks
And tell US to write the checks
They blow our Mountains all to Hell
And then say we’re doing well
They tell us that it’s good
To destroy our neighborhood
But we see through their lies
And we’re gonna open eyes
It’s the truth we’re gonna tell
And Big Wind can go to Hell
We’ll tell the Legislators
That this ain’t like growin’ taters
Big Wind isn’t good for Maine
In fact, it’s just a pain
The whole truth must be told
Before our State is sold
For thirty pieces of silver
Which is just enough to kill Her
Maine is not for sale
Big Wind should tuck its tail
And beat tracks toward the south
Before another lie comes from its mouth
We’ve used the voting booth
And now we demand the truth
For if the truth is told
Maine never will be sold
But if the truth is to be told
Then we must all be bold
We must all be there
To ensure that things are fair
If we don’t all show up
The system’s so corrupt
That Big Wind will get its way
And we will loose the day
But that isn’t gonna happen
That’s why on these keys I’m tappin’
To get the message through
That what we need is YOU
We need you to be there
To ensure that things are fair
And if you’re feeling meek
You don’t even have to speak
Just to show up is enough
Because it’s awful tough
For Legislators to ignore
Voters standing in the door
Please join us in Augusta
Because by now you musta
Come to understand
That we need a helping hand
We need every woman and man
Whoever possibly can
To show up and stand their ground
So that justice can be found
If we do this right
We could end this fight
A few strokes of a pen
And Maine is safe, again
But that isn’t gonna be
Unless you and me
Bother to go there
To show them that we care
It’s numbers now that count
And we need a large amount
To counteract the lies
And open the Legislature’s eyes
If you want things to be right
Then you need to join the fight
Don’t be a Big Wind pawn
When the battle lines are drawn
Come join us in Augusta
I know by now you musta
Heard the battle cry
And you know it’s do…..or die
Remember
Do you remember the days when surviving, meant bringing home game and fish
When you lived on salted dandelion greens, and a venison mince meat dish
Do you remember the days way back yonder, when all good men loved the woods
When a love of family, and a love of right, meant more than a love of goods
Do you remember the times, when all men knew the facts
When all men knew it was wrong, to destroy the wild tracts
Do you remember when men, worked in the woods all day
And were happy to see the springtime, when they could draw their honest pay
Do you remember when heating your home, meant cutting ten cord of wood
And you were happy to do it, ’cause the honest sweat felt good
Do you remember the time, when you were ever so sure
That energy independance, was yours forever more
Every man had his own woodlot, and every man had his own axe
Every man boiled his own pot, and it wasn’t the Gov’mint’s to tax
He lived by the sweat of his labor, and it never crossed his mind
To do anything against his neighbor, or to treat the land unkind
And then the world began changing, and certainly not to the good
Sudenly men were all scrambling, and laying waste to the woods
When the trees were all cut, and all of the wildlands smashed
Then along came a totally new scam, with many new checks to be cashed
Atop those sacred Mountains, where generations had worked
They put up useless turbines, while the politicians smirked
They knew the machines were useless, would never pay their way
But none of that really mattered, the destruction was here now to stay
They blasted the Mountain tops, and killed off the vernal pools
They paid off all the right people, to say that they followed the rules
And now the once proud North Land, is but a sorry sight
Gone are the pines and the woodsmen, the People just gave up the fight
Do you remember the days when surviving, meant knowing that every man
Was dependant upon the Wild Things, and was just part of a bigger Plan
Do you remember your Fathers, and their Fathers before them, too
Telling you that you must always, remember the right things to do
For once a man’s feet are removed from the Earth, that’s the begining of the end
He’ll forget where he came from, and where he was going, and what he was born to defend
He forgets how to do the right thing, and he forgets what his Grandfathers knew
He’ll turn over his birthright, his heritage, and his future…all for a dollar or two
Lucky are those who remember, blessed are those who hold out
Damned are the ones who just whimper, afraid now to stand up and shout
Keep your Axe well whetted, and always keep handy the gun
The good days may well yet return, the battle is yet to be won
But the only way that mankind, will have even the slightest prayer
Is if all of those on the inside, remember the value of all that out there
I Met A Woodsman Walking
I met a woodsman walking
And with him I fell to talking
He told me of the days
When all men knew the ways
Of living with the land
And walking hand in hand
With God’s natural laws
And they did it just because
He knew how to hunt and fish
And a boy could never wish
To find a better teacher
Or a more honest preacher
He spoke of the simple ways
That men knew in olden days
When each man understood
That he depended on the woods
He told me many stories
And he wove in allegories
The truth of what he said
Is still running through my head
Then he told me that I should
Always respect the woods
That all life was a gift
And that my eyes I now should lift
I lifted up my head
And my heart it filled with dread
For there upon the Mountain
Were turbines beyond countin’
The Mountain top was blasted
And while the moment lasted
I could feel the fear
That was running through the deer
That was running through the bear
And everything that lived up there
The fear was very real
And it was there for all to feel
I had opened up my heart
And I got quite a start
When I felt the Mountain cry
I thought sure that I would die
The connection it was real
And it was there for all to feel
If they would just open up their Soul
To the world as a whole
There is no denying
That I started crying
Feeling the natural shame
For what had become of Maine
When the Mountains are all gone
It will not be long
Before mankind will follow
Into the abysmal hollow
I turned to my new friend
To ask about the end
For he seemed to know
The way that things would go
But when I looked around
There upon the ground
Was not a single track
So I s’pose….he just went back
The Eagle And The Rainbow
What does it mean when times are lean
And a man is feeling low
And he looks to the sky, where there on high
Soars the Eagle and the Rainbow
When times are tough
Is it enough
For him to simply know
That his mortal frame
Is one and the same
With the Eagle and the Rainbow
What message comes on soaring wing
What unknown force makes his heart sing
Where in the Universe does his soul go
As he stands there watching
The Eagle and the Rainbow
A pretty girl who sings a tune
Can brighten his whole afternoon
And an Eagle winging overhead
Can make a man forget his dread
The modern world is a scary place
With lots of evil left to face
I only wish that all could know
The power of the Eagle and the Rainbow
My trip to the Northland
I have been to the place where the Devil Bear roams
And I’ve walked the moss covered eskers, that hide caribou bones
I’ve fed the gorbies, from the palm of my hand
And I’ve stood there at sunrise, and felt the soul of the land
I’ve seen it spread orange, and purple, and blue
Over the wild rippling waters, that each moment made new
I’ve eaten sweet berries, hand picked from the snow
And I’ve buttoned my shirt, when the wind it did blow
I know I was blessed, to visit that place
And when I finally left, it was with tears on my face
Now I am back home, far from the Northland
And I search for the words, to make men understand
How do you touch a mans soul, how do you make him feel
That the soul of the Wild is enduring and real
How do you tell him, make him understand
When he has never set foot, in that wild land
There lies the problem, that’s why we will suffer
Because modern man lives, within an unnatural buffer
His feet are removed, so far from the land
That he never has felt, the Earth’s loving hand
He doesn’t know nature, and he doesn’t know fact
And his very existence is an unnatural act
So I say to you, you should go to the Wild
Go forth and see nature, with the eyes of a child
Only then can you know, only then can you feel
The sacred connection that is ancient and real
If you could once do this, then you would understand
Why it is that I fight, so hard for the land…………….
When I Lay Down To Sleep
I lay down to sleep, but I seldom find rest
For every night while I slumber, I am put to the test
In my dreams I see things, awful and real
And I awake often wishing, that I could make people feel
Make them to realize, help them understand
Just what we are doing, to our children and land
For we are destroying, what we can never replace
And we seem able to to do it, and still keep a straight face
Most people don’t know, that what we’re doing is wrong
For deep in their hearts, they don’t carry the song
The song that our Grandfathers, held in their hearts
The song that made men, search out wild parts
I guess when your feet, are removed from the ground
Somehow your heart, is cut off from the sound
Now when I sleep, it seems that I dream
About the Indian caves, and the wild cat’s scream
About the old farmsteads, on Rocky Dundee
And about Fletcher Mountain, here watching me
I see the destruction, up at Mars Hill
And the spirits on Vinalhaven, that can never be still
I see how Freedom, Danforth, and Dixfield are loosing their way
Feel the pain coming from Roxbury, Carthage, and Woodstock, and those who can’t stay
I see Mattawamkeag, and that sacred place
Where a future President went, to commune with The Grace
And the red lights up on Kibby, as seen from the cut
In the Sandy Stream Valley, are like a kick in the gut
I see all these things, and yet my eyes are shut tight
There is no longer peace, in the Maine Mountain night
And then I see Bowers Mountain, above Grand Lake Stream
And I realize that others, still share in the dream
For they came together, to stand and defend
So that one corner of Maine, could win, in the end
The battle is not over, and we must stay on guard
But those bent on destruction, are finding it hard
Finding it hard, because The People now know
That they have the power, to tell the looters to “GO”
We’ve had a big win, and that is a great thing
But The People in general, still don’t know how to sing
They don’t hear the song, it doesn’t live in their hearts
They have no real respect, for the wilder parts
They don’t understand, they really don’t know
That the ‘Green’ they promote, means death, although slow
And so while we rejoice, that Bowers breaths free
There is still no escape, for those such as me
When I close my eyes, there will be no rest
Those things will still haunt me, and perhaps, that is best
For we must never forget, that if we sleep sound
Those bent on destruction, will keep gaining ground
thank you