A Boy From the Woods by Micah Pawluk

At the mega book signing at Chapters last Saturday, I picked up "A Boy from the Woods," a poetry collection by Micah Pawluk. The poems are uneven, some dazzling and others not so much but, nevertheless I enjoyed the collection very much. Many describe the northern forest, the loss and longing of love, the deep emotional connection to the land, the call of literature and poetry. These are poems to read out loud. They would be great on a canoe trip beside the camp fire. I can almost hear the fire crackle as I read them.

Here is the opening poem, one that many northerners can relate to immediately.

A Boy From the Woods

I come from the woods,
Son of a trapper,
I learned to fish and hunt,
to respect the land and all life.
To walk silently, studying
the secret ways of birds and animals,
the dangers of dark frozen creeks.
I come from the woods,
and the wilderness never left my heart.
 It's calling, always calling.

Sunshine Creek photo Joan M. Baril