A poem by my Great-Great Uncle
11/29/2003 07:16 p.m.
Uncle Alex H. Sutherland was a well-published poet living in Western Canada, as well as a government employee. There are several of his books in our family collection, and also a letter from the poet John Masefield, to Alex, commending him on his poetry and encouraging him. I chose his first poem from the book Victoria. He was a Manitoba native, but fell in love with Vancouver and Victoria too. His books (nice leather-bound volumes, in some cases) include: Manitoba Memories, Selkirk Settlers, Victoria,
and others. One includes a poem about a poet, and one volume is based on King Arthur, with miscellaneous poems further to the back.

I grew up cherishing the times when we were allowed to take them from the special cabinet of Mom's, in the living room, and read them. He was probably my first inspiration to love poetry, and eventually become a poet.

Victoria

Draped in her mantle of green and brown,
Queen of her spacious bays,
Unheeding the swift world's tragic frown,
The slow-eyed, leisurely, lovable town
Clings to her ancient ways.

A flame of gold sweeps over the sky
Where the wild Olympics range,
Their craggy crests, upreared on high,
Through tireless centuries defy
The challenge of time and change.

A sheen of silver is on the seas
In the light of the rising moon.
Beneath the quaint arbutus trees,
We sip the scent of the salt-sea breeze,
'Til darkness comes too soon.

Go forth ye bargainers of the mart,
Ye truckers of trade and gain.
Your greed is a pitiful thing apart,
Here in the calm of the world's great heart
Is a wealth ye may not obtain.
~~~~~~
(c) Alex H. Sutherland (year not available)

On another note, I wish I could be thanking people for their comments more right now, but as my technology is acting up and I need to use the library computer, I don't have much freedom to do so. So thanks to any and all for reading my work and commenting. Happy Thanksgiving, too, to all my American friends.



I am currently Affectionate
I am listening to voices behind me in the library