Rhymes from the North Country

Hawk-Owl
The frozen bog lies silent, white, and black;
A few fine flakes of snow sift slowly down
On stunted spruce and wind-torn tamarack
As gray light fades and night comes early on ...
-Burt Porter

Through vivid imagery and an eloquent voice, Vermont's ardent naturalist and traditional poet, Burt Porter, brings nature to life in a collection of poems that rhythmically explore the North Country, its beauty, and inhabitants.

Porter's thoughtful poems reflect on a variety of themes and subjects that include the four seasons, love, rainbows, milkweed, and the twinned seeds of a maple tree. As he leads others down a lyrical path, Porter shines a light on the spectacular beauty of Vermont and a simplistic life that can only be found in a countryside where cattle doze in darkened barns, a bank of fog hangs in the sun-warmed air, and love lives in quiet ways.

"In all of the best senses, Burt Porter is America's best, and perhaps last, bard. I love every poem in the collection."-Howard Frank Mosher, award-winning author