The River Remembers

The historic river where the raucous
shouts of coureur des bois once rang
loud as they encountered riotous rapids
runs deep and wide. It is a river where
great fighting sturgeon and carp can still
be found, ancient fish too skilled at
evading those whose hunger for fame
in the world of fisherfolk reeks of
urban legends.  Great pine forests once
bordered the shores of that wild river
harvesters sending the felled giants
on their journey downriver, the river
bottom deep in their shed bark leavings.
Now it is small pleasure craft that ply
those waters, their white sails shining
in the sun. At this winter season though
nearby residents await the freezing up
of the river for fishing huts to spring
into presence, hopes of catching one of
the legends still uppermost in mind. On
this early winter day, a weather anomaly
crests over the river; above the sun 
gleams through the clouds as snow falls
in a squall that obliterates sight lines as
an ice fog wraps the river in recollection.