Poetry

    


Poetry; whether it was written as a song or a poem,  it still has a quality to shape the world and whisk you off to a place of contentment.  Poetry is a journey that transcends time and thought.  Poetry goes back a long,  long time and some of the earliest poetry published dates from 1250 and is Scottish and English.  It is my good fortune to own what surely must be a rare book of poetry.  It was originally purchased in London England at Paternoster Row and was published in 1880. I have included a few pictures of the book here. A lot of the poems are from the master poet and father of poetry himself;   Geoffrey Chaucer.


When is the last time you read a poem by a famous poet?  Pick a famous poet and read a few poems.   I recommend reading list.


Robert Frost
Walt Whitman
E.E Cummings
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Emily Dickinson
Margaret Atwood
Edgar Allan Poe
  
Try to find a poet for yourself that you can relate with.  The writing styles are as many as the poets themselves.


I remember being in an English class as an adult completing my grade 12, and having finished an assignment early,  I was staring out the window at a huge old oak tree and quickly penned a poem about it. To my astonishment and horror the teacher had crept up behind me and had read it over my shoulder and squealed with delight to the whole class that I had written a poem about her favorite tree and we were now going outside to the tree where I would be reciting the poem to the class and the teacher.  As shy as I am,  I got through it to a hardy round of applause. 

Published 1888

 At the risk of embarrassing my shy self,  here is a sample of my own poetry and written for use as a song lyric. I've been actively writing song poems since I was 15 years old.  Most have been lost along the highway of life and my dream of becoming  a successful song writer  is slipping away but I still love to write songs and probably always will.  Wordsmith,  Poet,  Lyricist,  whatever label you attach to it,  the challenge of weaving words into spun gold poetry that is heartfelt by readers is a magic only a few artistic and creative people attain.   

SMILE FOR THE ROAD
Written by: Jeffrey Robert Hilton
Jan 5/2012

YOU CAME TO ME IN THE SETTING SUN,  WE'LL SEE WHERE THIS ALL LEADS TO.
ANOTHER PATH WE TAKE THE CHANCE
WHO WANTS TO BE ALONE ANYWAY.
I'VE BEEN THERE AND I DON'T CARE FOR IT.
NEWSPAPER BLOWING DOWN THE STREET
DANCER ON THE WIND,  CAN'T FIND HIS FEET.
LIKE SOME GHOST THAT LOST HIS WAY,  THAT WAS ME.
I'VE BEEN A WINNER, I'VE LOST TO
NO ODDS TO ME,  NO ODDS TO YOU.
I'VE TRAVELED FAR THIS IS ME,  JUST THE CLOTHES ON MY BACK.
FOLLOWED THE ROAD THAT LED AWAY.
CAME BACK ON THE SAME ONE,  JUST GOT IN TODAY.
MUCH EXPERIENCE AND THINGS I LEARNED
THAT I'D RATHER NOT HAVE KNOWN.
BUT LIFE WAS INSISTENT THAT I WOULD BE SHOWN


HOW COULD ALL THESE THINGS HAVE COME TO PASS.
HAS IT REALLY BEEN SO LONG,  I DIDN'T THINK SO
I WAS WRONG.
WELL ON THE OTHER SIDE,  LOOKING DOWN FROM THIS HIGH PLACE
WITH SOME TREPIDATION, A SMILE ON MY FACE.
COMING TO CONCLUSION,  LENDING TO ALLUSION
KNOWING IT DOESN'T ALWAYS HAVE TO END SO BAD.
THE DREAMS ARE GETTING CLEARER NOW.
THE COLORS TAKE ON SHAPES OF THINGS I KNOW I KNOW.
SO I'LL SIT HERE AND ANALYZE WHILE YOU GO ABOUT YOUR DAY
THEN BRING IT HOME AND MAKE IT PART OF MINE
AND MAYBE I COULD EVEN LEARN TO STAY.
A SMILE FOR THE ROAD,  WILL TAKE YOU WHERE YOU WANT TO GO.


BELIEVE IN US,  BELIEVE WE'LL KEEP THESE CARDS WE'VE DRAWN
WE'VE COME TO FAR TO LET THIS GO.
COME TO FAR AND WE BOTH KNOW.
RUNNING DOESN'T GET YOU VERY FAR.
BELIEVE IN US,  BELIEVE IN WHAT WE'RE DOING.
BELIEVE THAT THIS,  CRUSH WON'T FALL AND END IN RUIN.
BE ON MY SIDE,  IT'S JUST FATE UNLESS IT LIED.


THIS FACE IS GETTING OLDER
THE WINTERS SEEM MUCH LONGER AND COLDER.
A SMILE FOR THE ROAD WE'RE ON,  LET'S KEEP IT ON.
IN ONE PLACE WITH SOMEONE,  THAT LOVES YOU BACK AS MUCH
MAKES IT SOMETHING REAL,  THAT RISES ABOVE
ALL THE WHEAT AND CHAFF.
THAT MADE YOU CRY AND MADE YOU LAUGH
LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO WONDER WHY. 

Do Have A Good Day And Night Per Se.


Jeffrey Robert Hilton

Go Steady And Be Very Very Afraid

As Canadians, we are blessed with a huge amount of unspoiled, often protected vast tracks of wilderness.It's hard to imagine the pioneer spirit lot's of us possess at work without it.
When I see the beauty of a mountain range complete with flowering meadows, hidden lakes and majestic dark forests, I can't help but to feel  some of that pioneer spirit in my blood. The awe, the mysteries that await there, the purity of the nature, the adventures and yes,  the dangers that lurk there.

I love the wilderness and I try to be there in it's midst whenever I can.
Having said that, it also scares me to death sometimes and I have the utmost respect for what it can do when the powerful forces of nature are unleashed there.


At the end of the day though, the thing I am truly afraid of are bears.
In my experience, I have seen a few Black bears and Brown bears.
I have never seen a Grizzly in the wild up close or even a Kodiak or a Polar bear and that's perfectly fine with me. I don't want to see them when I'm in the mountains and if I don't,  I figure it's a combination of me doing the right things along with some luck.


A new concern is well at hand in the wilderness in the form of a new bear that I don't want to meet either. It's a hybrid bear mix of grizzlies and polar bears mating with each other to form a Pizzly or a Grolar bear.
This is occurring due to the grizzlies range increasing while the polar bears range is shrinking causing them to venture further inland.
It's hardly breaking news as it's been going on for some time now and the few that have been killed or spotted have a white coat of a polar bear but have the hump of a Grizzly and the brown patches around the eyes like a Grizzly and often have paw colors to match a grizzly.

Source: Wikipedia

As I stand there with my can of pepper spray, bear repellent, I wonder if it will just become something the bear licks off his lips before he eats me. How effective is it ? Never mind, I don't want to find out. What I can tell you is that I wouldn't be camped in the wilderness without more protection than a can of spray to protect me. My ax and knife make me feel a bit more secure along with some back country common sense, and even armed with all that I know there are no guarantees.


The pleasure, peace and solitude that are on offer make it all worth it. 
Just follow the rules of being completely prepared and the rules of back country common sense. Bears don't like to be surprised and go to great lengths to hide away from humans and out of sight. If you surprise a bear, give him the chance to leave the area. Wave your arms and talk to him in a gentle voice so he knows you are human, back away slowly and diagonally maintaining a sight-line with the bear. Most of the time, the bear will be as surprised to see you as you are him. Never forget bears can run up to 40 M.P.H., so running is never an option. You running is like fast food for a bear and he will chase you down faster then you can say " Would you like Biggie Fries with that."

If he  stands up, it's only to observe you better. If he follows you as you back away, stop and hold your ground. He may attempt a mock charge and will only come to within  ten feet. If you have your bear repellent ready then use it if he approaches at a 6 - 8 ft. distance. Bears are intelligent and can sense fear like any animal. Keep your cool and an attack is still imminent, drop and play dead curling up in a ball with your hands protecting the back of your head and neck. If you are bitten more than once, then the attack has become a predatory attack and your only hope is to get up and fight viciously for your life and be vocal about it.
Oh and, good luck !


Avoid turning your camp site into a bear attraction by burning any garbage in a hot fire and then packing out the remains. Try not to eat strong smelling food like bacon or fish. Store your food in an elevated cache or away from your camp. Wash  dirty dishes asap with food smells in hot soapy water and promptly pack away. Cook away from tent. Do not set camp too close to a game trail. Bears like you and I, like to travel on a trail.
When hiking, make noise, use bells, sing and talk loudly. this will alert any bears to your whereabouts and give them a chance to leave the area.
Try to travel through bear country with the wind at your back.


If you are after pictures of bears, maintain a safe distance and use a long lens only. If you are approached when fishing and you have a fish on, cut your line. This will teach the bear that he is not guaranteed a fish just by approaching a fisherman.


Chances are good you won't see any bears as they tend to avoid us as much as possible, but remember you are in their space and respect that space and just be glad we don't have all three species of bears in Alberta as our American friends do in Alaska. Or is that three and a half species ?


Good Day My Friends ;    
Jeffrey Robert Hilton