Tuesday poem #92 : Christine Stewart : This— from Treaty Six

They look at what they see






This valley
 
I broke this it shattered
 
Standing there
 
Twenty feet to the left that will upset everyone

Those rocks like that






This river

This bending from here
 
That meeting
 
To their free time against this one you would do so
 
Because they were very cold under
 
That bridge in their free time
 
This one from there and that one under is better
 
To the right of that they threw it
 
Toward this river they ate that
 
Next to from which their free time shifts this water shifts this
 
Sound and so will I
 
Because I was very cold by this sand
 
Settling in that bend
 
I was very cold






Those ravens
 
They go that way
 
Two through like this
 
Across this river snow muffles that
 
They are like here through air muffled
 
Two through like this
 
I will do it as well
 
Being as though they are to go through
 
They change
 
It is very kind of them to come






These beavers

That sudden they would do so
 
Changes this a slice
 
Nearly that quickly
 
Through there






These coyotes

And they thought the better of it
 
But it is all of which they taught
 
That they were in a hurry yet
 
Kindly have it joined as they mind






These magpies

An imitation
 
By which they need
 
As they are alike






These buffalo berries

How do you do?
 
 By which shaking
 
 They hurry
 
  By which they kindly lay down
 
  Thank you






These spruce

Then at once each
 
Pleasing each
 
One fell before that another and another
 
And the wind
 
How do you do






Those deer prints
 
These clouds as well arranged
 
This sky as cold following
 
That bank brown and different in shape






This crayfish

Once at a glance and the water water by them






Those rocks

Or while they went they gathered more






These boatmen

It is will that wills them that water and their pleasure






That geese place

To submit to this joining in this pleasure together






This big beaver house

I am here now directly although it is cold in the evening






That old beaver house

Before recently yesterday they went back back and forth






This cliff

It is there it whistles it is not narrow.






Those eagles

Then not only at a distance and with nearly
 
In which and because it suits them to fan
 
It is very well to go up and look down
 
That they could please that they see
 
Where it is better that they are there
 
They look at what they see
 
They look very long
 
They care for it of course they care for it






These rocks

 Or they make it plain by their own time






This river

Well and welcome as the day which when the sun shines

                                         Makes water grow or covers others more






Those buffalo

Often as evening is as light
 
                As once for all
 
                         Think of how how often how many
 
                                        And they like it here plainly





These owls
 
At a distance they are
 
There with them.
 
And to be interested and to be with them
 
They will be very well


It is a call resting very well
 
Thank you

 
With a gracious wish they will establish their independence of killing they are coming and not waiting.

Christine Stewart studies and teaches experimental poetics and creative research at the University of Alberta. She is also a member of the Writing Revolution in Place Research Collective.  Selected publications: from Taxonomy. West House Press. Pessoa's July: or the months of astonishments. Nomados Press. The Trees of Periphery. above/ground press. Virtualis: Topologies of the Unreal. BookThug, and The Humanist with Red Nettle Press (forthcoming).

the Tuesday poem is curated by rob mclennan