The Rawness of Time

By Ben Nuttall Smith

Poems and stories.

A person of advanced years will have developed a certain perspective on the events that have brought him or her to that point.

One tends to shred away unimportant things and to dwell on what it was that has moulded one's character. As such, a senior's thoughts become the most personal of spaces. It takes, perhaps,

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rutherford Press
• Release date: Mar 12, 2022
• ISBN: 9781988739533

Ben Nuttall Smith

Ben Nuttall-Smith taught Music, Theatre, Art, and Language until he retired in 1991. Ben is 1st Vice President of the Federation of British Columbia Writers, a member of the Canadian Authors’ Association, Editorial Board member for the Canadian Poetry Association quarterly magazine Poemata and member of the Canadian Writers’ Union. Publications include a book of poetry - A Moment In Eternity (Silver Bow 2013), an historical novel – Blood, Feathers and Holy Men, (Libros Libertad 2011), an autobiographical novel, Secrets Kept / Secrets Told, (Libros Libertad 2012), a 3500 word illustrated children’s book – Henry Hamster Esquire and a book of Haiku for children illustrated by Jan Albertin –Grandpa’s Homestead. Ben’s poems and short stories have appeared in numerous anthologies and online publications including All That Uneasy Spring ed. Patrick Lane; Quills Canadian Poetry Magazine; Poemata Canadian Poetry Association; Royal City Poets, Silver Bow Publishing, Between Earth and Sky, Silver Bow Publishing, Lucidity Journal of Verse, Bear House Publishing, Houston, Texas; Cyclamens and Swords on line poetry magazine. Ben was the winner of The Surrey Board of Trade Special Achievement Award 2011 for work as a writer and for service to the writing community Website: www.BenNuttall-Smith.ca

Book preview

The Rawness of Time

Copyright © Ben Nuttall-Smith 2022

Author: Ben Nuttall-Smith

Publisher: Rutherford Press

Author website:https://bennuttall-smith.ca

For information, contact:

Rutherford Press,

PO Box 648

Qualicum Beach, BC, Canada V9K 1A0

[e-mail]

https://rutherfordpress.ca

Printed in the United States of America and Canada.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in whole or in part, materially or digitally, including photocopying, without the express written permission of the author or publisher.

ISBN # 978-1-988739-52-6

ISBN # 978-1-988739-53-3 (e-book)

Contents

TAP TAP

YOUR NAME

MONTREAL AIRPORT

COVID I

COVID II

COVID MASKS

THE MIGHTY CORONAVIRUS

MARTINIQUE

DOLPHINS

KAMIKAZE

SUNDAY IN MARTINIQUE

QUELLE PATIENCE!

AS A FATHER SHOULD BE

DRIVING WITH MY FATHER

MARTINIQUE RUM

SUMAS LAKE, BRITISH COLUMBIA

SNOW

GARDENS

STONES & DRIFTWOOD

GARDEN PLANTS

THE CULPABILITY OF VALERIA

MY MOTHER’S GARDEN

FRIENDS IN MY GARDEN

MARGOT’S GARDEN

GOLD DUST & BLACK DEATH

THIS YEAR’S GARDEN

BOOZE, BREAKUP AND COUNSELLING

WE HAUNT THE PAST

I SHALL RETURN

LISTENING

THE IRIS

PARENTHOOD

GRANDCHILDREN

FISH AND CHIPS

MISSION

GUILT

AND A CHILD WILL LEAD

PRAYER

KARMA

THE SHAWL

DISOWNED – DISINHERITED

RULED BY GREED

HIDDEN

BIRTH

VALCARTIER, QUEBEC

VICTIM

WAR AND HEALING

EARLIEST MEMORIES

REMEMBERING AND LETTING GO

A WARTIME STORY

THE SECRET

DEALING WITH A QUIZLING

CLOSING THOUGHTS

AFTER I’M GONE

FROM THE EDITOR

A person of advanced years will have developed a certain perspective on the events that have brought him or her to that point.

One tends to shred away unimportant things and to dwell on what it was that has moulded one’s character. As such, a senior’s thoughts become the most personal of spaces. It takes, perhaps, reckless courage to expose those distilled memories for others to examine. Only a small number of survivors into elderhood will bother with, or be brave enough to, open up one’s soul in as much of a raw fashion as does Ben in these poems and recollections.

He wishes to state with respect that some of his memories about his deeply enigmatic mother may not correspond to what others remember. Ben is apologetic. He only wishes to know more.

with love,

George Opacic,

January 2022

TAP TAP

The muscles in his legs

have withered in the chill

of long flown years.

Tap, tap his cane

against the crumbling stone

of steps he once laid down,

so long ago, the memory’s gone,

he’d set the two-foot wall

to hold his blossoms firm

and plucked a bouquet

almost every morn

for one who made the days so warm.

She left before the wilted leaves

had blown and fading roses

withered on the bower.

And so tap tap, he waits his turn

to join her one day

in the great unknown.

YOUR NAME

The face I know so well,

hello again, dear friend.

Sorry if I don’t recall your name

when daily you greet me by mine.

Thick cobwebs gather

where my thoughts once flew.

But now, like flies,

they buzz in the maze.

MONTREAL AIRPORT

2:30 A.M.

Waiting on a hard bench

a very hard bench

sleepless.

We’d