Unsought miles of land roll down from mountainside
As children nestle ‘round their grinning father
And strive to show their lineage to all.
A skad of Saskatoons await the dawn,
Entangling Poplar, Spruce, or barbed fence posts.
I see the dark stain of purple berries
Upon my daughter’s hands. She has feasted
On each small wonder in this restful place,
While I, without a care, wander midst mulch,
Axe in hand swinging lazy at my side.
Below the chief of mountains, a river
Curls and bends, chortling among mud and stone,
While far above, children fly down dirt roads,
Laughing as they steer toward adventure.
My wife, cozy in the kitchen, opens
Heart and mind to scripture, finding there as here
A refuge brimming full of heav’nly peace.
photo by Hannah Anderson
Todd Anderson (Stuff of the Rind, Sand and Sail, The Reluctant Prophet) writes the newsletter Mirth to share a behind-the-scenes look at his writing process as well as to offer readers the first fruits of his poetry and reflections. He grew up in the forests of small-town Ontario, contending against nature in all its beauty and harshness. His training as a literary scholar of Latin and English literature inflects his love of poignant turns of phrase, but it is the influence of his family and their myriad adventures together that infuses his story-telling and poetry with its substance and power. Todd lives and writes in Ottawa with his wife and six children. If you are interested in supporting Todd’s work, please follow the links below to donate or buy his books.
Todd Edward Anderson 