“Children totter over mossy stones.
Clear sparkling water trickles between their toes,
swirls around grown-up ankles below rolled-up jeans.”
Excerpt from poem “Heartwaters” in my chapbook, Mississippi Meanderings
The first time we visited Lake Itasca State Park in northern Minnesota, we came to drop our kayak into the Mississippi Headwaters, where a small clear stream spills out of the northern finger of the lake. It is, indeed, an awe-inspiring sight: the humble birthplace of an iconic American waterway.
The beauty, significance and evoked emotion of the Headwaters did not disappoint. But what I didn’t expect was the cast bronze sculpture we passed on the short walk to the river’s edge. I didn’t expect its symbolism and message to stick with me through our whole journey down the river. And I had no idea that years later, it would inspire the first of a collection of poems that would gel into a book about the Mississippi, the “heartwaters” of our nation.
This bronze sculpture, created by Anishinabe (Ojibwe) artist, Jeff Savage, is called “Heartwaters – Caretaker Woman.” In Anishinabe culture, women are the Caretakers of the Water. This is sacred work, and we all have a responsibility to respect the waters, preserving this precious resource for future generations. The turtles that Caretaker Woman releases symbolize both water and universal cycles of life.
“Anishinabe woman, born of tradition and bronze,
hair flowing in waves, like the river she protects,
keeps watch over the heartwaters of our nation.”
Excerpt from poem, “Heartwaters” in my chapbook “Mississippi Meanderings”
Mississippi Meanderings is available for pre-order through May 31st. You can use this link to my publisher, Finishing Line Press. During the presale period, it is available at a $2.00 discount off the regular retail price, with $3.99 postage. If you have already ordered a copy for yourself or for a nature-loving friend, thank you! Each Tuesday of the presale period, I’ll post a picture and the story behind one of the poems, along with a short excerpt for your enjoyment!
Gratefully, Barb
Author Barb Geiger 