Monday, January 10, 2005

Let the Ferry

Cross:
1695 September 24: The Court of General Sessions ordered that the town of Newbury "have liberty to keep a ferry over Merrimack river near ye house of John Kelly where they are to keep a suitable boat afloat with a hand ready to transport passengers, horses and cattle as need may require, and ye fare of said ferry is hereby appointed to be a penny for a man and five pence for a horse and so proportionable for other creatures allwaies provided that ye town of Newbury do at their own cost and charge make and maintain a sufficient highway from ye river up to ye country road way, and ye town of Amesbury do ye like on their side of ye river." [Salem Court Records, 1692-1709]
Let Kelly be Calvin.
Serial Sonnet, Untitled, Part One, An Octave

In the dead of winter Calvin mends
his craft while waiting for the ice to crack
from January’s cold. Outside he hears
the whisper of a sleigh, or was it wind?
No matter, no one wants a ferry boat
tonight. He'd like a pint of whiskey though,
Canadian would sure be nice, remind
him of the life back home—Trois Rivieres.
(to be continued?)

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