Rhymes from the North Country

Hawk-OwlThe frozen bog lies silent, white, and black;A few fine flakes of snow sift slowly downOn stunted spruce and wind-torn tamarackAs gray light fades and night comes early on Burt PorterThrough vivid imagery and an eloquent voice, Vermonts ardent naturalist and traditional poet, Burt Porter, brings nature to life in a collection of poems that rhythmically explore the North Country, its beauty, and inhabitants. Porters thoughtful poems reflect on a variety of themes and subjects that include the four seasons, love, rainbows, milkweed, and the twinned seeds of a maple tree. As he leads others down a lyrical path, Porter shines a light on the spectacular beauty of Vermont and a simplistic life that can only be found in a countryside where cattle doze in darkened barns, a bank of fog hangs in the sun-warmed air, and love lives in quiet ways. In all of the best senses, Burt Porter is Americas best, and perhaps last, bard. I love every poem in the collection.Howard Frank Mosher, award-winning author