‘within easy reach’ – why did I write these poems?
Later this spring I will have a book of poems and drawings in publication – ‘within easy reach’. The poems and art in the book are about gathering local, mostly wild, foods. I have been fortunate to work with a wonderful publisher, Chapel Street Editions, interested in books about the natural history, human history, and cultural life of the St. John River Region of New Brunswick, Canada. http://www.chapelstreeteditions.com/about_chapel_street_editions.html
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As a botanist, I loved making this book. Identifying plants is a skill learned in university and during years of enjoying the out-of-doors. Many of the plants are found on my own property, but my husband and I travelled throughout the region to find some species. We found edible trout lily along the banks of the Dunbar Stream, salty orach on the beaches of Saint Andrews, and dangerous-to-eat water dragon in a wetland on the Renous highway. On our own property we tried to out-smart the squirrels for hazelnuts, tapped twelve trees for maple syrup and discovered partridge berries growing in the woods behind our house. As you can see, part of my enthusiasm for the subject is about spending time with my husband!
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I also did a little time-travelling to write these poems. Although most of the plants I write about are found in the St. John River Region, I looked into my own past to remember some edible plants in other parts of Canada. This included eating cactus berries on the Alberta prairie, buying cloud berries from children along the Trans-Canada in Newfoundland, and picking blueberries with my Mom and Dad in Nova Scotia. I also looked to the diaries of my Great-Aunt to get a glimpse of the growing and gathering habits of an earlier generation.
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I am sure many of my poems will echo memories of your own experiences with local foods.
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Eating near to home has so many benefits – these foods are often free and have not travelled far to your table. Many wild foods go unharvested although they are ‘within easy reach’. Just think of those apples in the abandoned orchard at the edge of town, the dandelion greens on your brother’s lawn, or the choke-cherries growing along the fence down the road. Although you should use care when eating wild foods, many are easy to harvest and can add variety and taste to your meals.
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In my next post, I’ll say more about why you might enjoy reading my book. And very soon, I’ll be starting a count-down on my blog to let you know how many days you have to wait until publication. I’ll have a contest and a give-away. Shameless self-promotion!
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Copyright Jane Tims 2016
‘within easy reach’
This spring, I will celebrate the publication of my first book of poetry!
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‘within easy reach’ is a result of my 2012 project ‘growing and gathering’ supported by artsnb (the New Brunswick Arts Board). The poems focus on harvesting and eating local foods, especially wild foods. My book will be published by Chapel Street Editions, Woodstock, New Brunswick.
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The book will include about sixty poems as well as some of my black and white pencil drawings. These are poems about picking blackberries and blueberries, eating coastal favorites like goose tongue greens and samphire, buying smelts from a truck at the roadside and fishing for landlocked salmon. Every poem is based on a personal experience of harvesting and using local foods.
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During the next few posts, I will tell you more about my book and its poems and drawings. I can’t wait to show it to you!
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‘fiddleheads’ – a wild food eaten every spring in New Brunswick
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Copyright 2016 Jane Tims
in the shelter of the covered bridge – a line of pigeons
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keeping watch
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Florenceville Bridge
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pigeons swim through air
fill gaps on the ridge line
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perch on the shingled roof
scrutinize the traffic
the squeeze of half-tons
on the bridge
the kissing of mirrors
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pigeons quit the ridge, glide
to the shingled shore
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river winds shiver
hawkweed and sumac, displace
blankets of wild cucumber, billow
the skirts and Tilley
hats of tourists
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published previously in a post on September 11, 2015
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Copyright Jane Tims 2016
in the shelter of the covered bridge – vantage point for planets
If there are clear pre-sunrise morning skies this week, we will be able to see a rare view of several planets in the morning sky – Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Mars and Jupiter. For a description of the event, see http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/visible-planets-tonight-mars-jupiter-venus-saturn-mercury
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Last year, on February 21st, we saw the conjunction of Mars, Venus and the Moon. On that evening, as my husband and I drove through our local covered bridge, we startled a hare. I will never forget its long-eared shadow as it fled the bridge. The conjunction of planets and moon, and snowshoe hare and truck, were inspiration for a drawing and poem …
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March 1, 2015 ‘conjunction’ Jane Tims
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conjunction – February 21, 2015
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Patrick Owens Covered Bridge
Rusagonis River #2
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planet and moon light scamper
into crevasses in the covered bridge
Venus and Mars, chin velvet
and sickle of mid-winter moon
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headlights of the half-ton enter
overwhelm planet shadow
startle a winter hare
erect on haunches, paw lifted
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frosted by sky-gaze, worshiping
the sliver of moon, dismayed
at desecration, round glare
of the truck’s predatory eyes
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fright to stop a heart
or flight to mobilize
hind- legs straighten
before fore-legs turn
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and long ear shadows
quit the length of the bridge
ahead of whiskers, nose
and rabbit wisdom
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previously published in a post March 2, 2015
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Copyright Jane Tims 2016
in the shelter of the covered bridge – drawings
As I complete my manuscript of poems ‘in the shelter of the covered bridge’, I am also working on the drawings to accompany the text. I have made a list of the visuals presented in the poems, so I have a specific idea of what drawings I need. Many are completed since I have a large portfolio of bird drawings, for example …
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Others are still to be done. This morning I completed a rather delicate drawing of the two kinds of roses growing beside the Darlings Island Covered Bridge and captured in my poem ‘tangle’.
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I love to draw. For me, it is like watching a movie as I see my hand lay pencil marks on paper. It is not a calm activity. Perhaps because my hand and arm are moving, I get quite agitated when I draw and I imagine my blood pressure rising as the work progresses.
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In order to have a body of work to choose from for the final manuscript, I aim to have more than forty drawings. I have completed nineteen. Lots to do !
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Copyright Jane Tims 2016
gates and gateposts
Looking through my watercolours, I came across the painting below of a gatepost. I painted this during my virtual excursion through Cornwall, using Street View and Google Earth. The painting reminds me of how much fun I had, painting the scenes I discovered on my virtual journey.
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I am still using Street View to motivate my exercise program – since last year, I have been following the Saint John River from its origins in Quebec and Maine. My goal is to ‘cycle’ the length of the Saint John River, all the way to where it empties into the Bay of Fundy.
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Gateways mark change. They represent movement from one space to another. They can be entryways. They can also be barriers. The challenge is always to step through that gate and keep on going.
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Oct. 4, 2013 ‘gate near Feock’ Jane Tims
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through the gate
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grey granite cold
black body to
absorb the sun
emit no warm
even lichens
rooted to stone
are barely alive
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the stone invites
admiration
but curves disguise
the jagged edge
biotite and
muscovite honed
razor thin
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step forward, through
the gate, ignore
the risk
the path behind
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Copyright 2014 Jane Tims
local eating … sprout sandwich
Winter in New Brunswick – snow, frozen ground, temperatures far below zero. Not a time to be thinking about growing your own food? Not quite true!
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Anyone can grow sprouts. I have a great sprouter, the 8 X 10 Sproutmaster from Sprout People.
https://sproutpeople.org/sproutmaster-8×10-tray-sprouter/
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I have also used a one pint mason jar for growing sprouts. For me, a twice daily water rinse and careful draining is key to growing the best sprouts.
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Today, I had a couple of sprout sandwiches for breakfast. Sprouted alfalfa, multi-grain bread from Real Food Connections in Fredericton, and mayo. Yum!
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sprout sandwich
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sprouts peek
between sheets
of whole wheat
green baby beaks
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stems tickle lips
as though I kissed
a man with a mobile
mustache
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satisfying crunch
crisp bunch
of alfalfa
delight
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green and white
and mayo
daub of mustard
sprig of thyme
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a sprinkle
from my stash of seed
a little time
sprouts did all the work
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swell, burst seed coat, grow
rinse, dry , fluff
pluck and toss
and wow! what a kiss!
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Copyright 2016 Jane Tims
local foods
Yesterday we made our second visit to Real Food Connections in Fredericton. Real Food Connections sells locally grown and produced food. On their wall is a huge map of New Brunswick and surroundings, showing all the growers and producers who supply foods to the store. https://www.realfoodconnections.ca/
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On our first trip we bought the most flavourful carrots! We also bought a beautiful head of garlic, alfalfa seeds for my sprouter, Gouda cheese, big red onions and a bottle of canola oil.
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This week we signed up online for Real Food Connections’ $25 produce box. In our box we had potatoes, white onions, carrots, sweet potatoes, garlic, a squash, a head of garlic, a beautiful leek, a bag of cranberries, a bag of apples and frozen cauliflower. I can hardly wait to plan this week’s meals around our items.
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Last night, for supper, we had a first-class Leek and Potato Soup. I used leeks, onions, garlic and potatoes from our box and added chicken stock, spices and 2% milk. It was quick to prepare and delicious!
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If you are lucky enough to have a store specializing in local foods, try it out! Buying food this way supports local producers and takes a step towards food security. I try to buy local products whenever possible by shopping at farmers’ markets and local food stands, and by choosing carefully at the grocery store. I am so happy to be able to go into Real Food Connections and see what a full range of foods are available to us!
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Do you have a store where you can buy local products in season?
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Copyright 2016 Jane Tims
in the shelter of the covered bridge – shelter?
‘shelter’
– n.
1. protection from danger, bad weather, etc.
2. place giving shelter or refuge.
-v.
1. act or serve as a shelter to; protect; conceal; defend.
2. find refuge, take cover.
(Oxford English Dictionary)
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As I refine the results of my poetry project, ‘in the shelter of the covered bridge’, I am thinking about the idea of ‘shelter’ and how important it is to all living things.
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A covered bridge changes the landscape, alters the environment and encourages habitat diversity. It changes the availability of light, water and air. It provides cover from harsh environments.
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Some examples of finding shelter in a covered bridge:
Plants:
- seeds on the wind, waylaid, find a place to germinate
- grasses growing beneath the bridge get less light as shadows thicken – sometimes there is too little light to grow at all
- a crack between boards in the floor of the bridge provides a space to grow away from competition from other plants
- mosses and lichens find a place to thrive in the rotted hollows of posts and timbers
Animals:
- birds use rafters and beams as nesting sites
- spiders find places to attach their webs
- mice store seeds in nooks and crannies
- birds hunt insects on the sun-warmed boards of the bridge
Humans:
- travellers find brief respite from wind and snow and rain
- friends and lovers find meeting places, out of the view of curious eyes
- visitors find surfaces for expression – graffiti, vulgarity, art, a space to say ‘I was here’
- children of all ages find a place to shout, hear echoes, remember
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shelter
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the engine dies – after midnight
not far from home
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snow builds on track
eyelash and mitten
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wind conceals the road
sweeps the bridge
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enter, a lull and chill subsides
bright of snow subdued
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no solitude – a mouse ticked
off, her hibernation interrupted
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and ghosts carve names, spray
broad epithets in purple
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inspire defiance, kick me
out, into the storm
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Copyright Jane Tims 2016
warming winter – my finished quilt
Last week I began making a small quilt for my guest room. The fabrics are printed with lavender, morning glory, violet and primrose, perfect for a room themed with purple flowers! To see my method for this quilt, see my post for January 11, 2016.
https://janetims.com/2016/01/11/warming-winter/
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I promised a look at the finished quilt. Here it is, back and front and front again!
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I tried something different with this quilt. I used some drawstring details from the blouses I cut up for fabric and made the quilt so it could be rolled and tied. Now it can be stored neatly on the corner of the bed and unrolled when needed!
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I have plans for a few more quilts this winter. Lots of cold evenings with needle and thread …
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Copyright Jane Tims 2016
nichepoetryandprose 