I'm still working on poems from around 1958 when my family joined other relatives on an adventure into the Pine Valley region in Northern British Columbia.
In today's poem I'm trying to distill a decade or so of history into a few lines. Huge changes were made in how forests were managed. These macro interventions had profound consequences for individuals working in the bush.
Pawns
They didn't know it, but
they were caught up
in the middle of a war.
A corrupt forestry minister
set trouble in motion.
Paid off by
multinational corporations
he gave away management of
vast expanses of forested land.
Landed in the lockup,
but
destroyed a collaborative,
gentlemanly approach of
sharing the wealth
of the forest.
Ended up pitting
small time
loggers
bush mill and
planer operations
against
large companies and
international enterprises.
A new regime tried to revise it,
auctioned off concessions
But
the damage had been done
large outfits had more money
more resources
less conscience
left the smaller ones
little but bones to pick.
Another mend was attempted.
Contracts were awarded
based on a quota method.
Quota was the average
of wood cut and processed
in the previous three years.
Being new to the area,
they had no quota.
Couldn’t afford to purchase one.
The day they repossessed
the one ton truck,
was the only time
anyone remembers
Uncle Walter swearing.
Here are links to previous Pine Valley poems.
Leaving
Characters
Journey
Arrival
Preparedness
Ready and Willing
Larder
Laundry
Diaper Duty
Skunk Trouble
Leaving
Characters
Journey
Arrival
Preparedness
Ready and Willing
Larder
Laundry
Diaper Duty
Skunk Trouble
This is such an interesting project...and so wonderful for you to find the stories that shaped your family. Your final stanza packs an emotional punch in just a few words.
ReplyDeleteThanks Buffy. I've been carrying it around with me, trying to figure out how to best use it.
DeleteYou've captured so much here about the history of the times, but also, with your ending, about the profound impact on a more individual level. Fascinating!
ReplyDeleteThanks Molly. I'm enjoying learning all this history.
DeleteWell done. The history of a decade to distill is so hard! I've had situations like that in my writing. There's so much to tell. But, your last line really does the trick. All that business stuff down to uncle Walter's reaction. I agree with Molly, profound is a good word. I love learning about the industry and your family at the same time.
ReplyDeleteThanks Linda. I'm not sure where I'm going with it all, but at least I will have a record for younger family members.
DeleteYou've nailed that last stanza. It's an unexpected twist that makes the drama personal in an instant. (Love the photo, too!)
ReplyDeleteThanks Kat. Those macro interventions have major consequences in the lives of ordinary people.
DeleteThis brought tears to my eyes. Very powerful!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Toni.
DeleteYour poem saga sounds like an event that could happen or is happening today. And I'd agree with all ahead of me, your last stanza is powerful and brings everything home.
ReplyDeleteAs I read more I am appalled that it all feels too familiar. I couldn't figure out how to fit it in, but prior to the takeover of the forest by multinational corporations, forests were select logged. Clearcutting is how big money manages the land.
DeleteSo good. I'm really enjoying your project!
ReplyDeleteThanks Ruth.
DeleteAs I was reading this chapter in verse, I was struck by the magnitude of the information that you digested and distilled for us, Cheriee. I continue to find your story fascinating.
ReplyDeleteThanks Carol. It has not been easy, but with all the research I've been reading, I've also come to understand and appreciate the lives of my grandparents and these uncles and aunts more fully.
DeleteThe ending is so poignant. It puts a relatable human face on the careless (or, maybe, care-only-for-my-own-wealth-and-profits) attitudes of the big corporations. Sadly, this feels very current...
ReplyDeleteI too was struck by the similarities Mary Lee.
DeleteThis has been a fascinating history to read. Thank you for sharing it with us. Those younger members of your family are lucky to have a record of their history--and one beautifully written. Today's installment is heart-wrenching, and all-too-current still today.
ReplyDeleteCheriee, I love this history that you've shared with us through poems. The images you've created with your words have brought your family's journey into the present. Very powerful and so interesting.
ReplyDelete