Soil and Water

soil particles align
form a barrier that repels water
like a hard heart refusing love
the circle of sky superimposed on ground
life’s elixir pools a tall bead
waits for permission
breaking open, more than half zips away
before its path saturates
reluctantly, the ground yields
a temporary tattoo
no trace is retained for long

~ Gayle Sacuta

“I live in Devon with my family, but regularly visit the farm where I grew up. I take my children there. The land is integral to my sense of identity. I explore the relationship with the land through writing. The bond grows even though I don’t live there.

My poems were inspired after finding a tiny chip from an arrowhead in a hayfield on the farm. That action connected me to the pre-settlement history of that particular piece of land in a new way. I’m still exploring the effects, so I’m reluctant to write too much at this point, although I feel like it will play an important part in my future story.”

Read more of Gayle Sacuta’s poetry:
Vast Prairie Puja
Where Are You From?

Editor’s note: This poem is from Home and Away – a sequel to the bestselling Writing the Land (2007). Look for one poet to be featured each day as Alberta poets ponder the question “what is home?” and explore our complex relationship with working on, living with, exploiting and protecting our land and our home. For more information about the project, click here.

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