Third Week of June, and: Carrying Memory

Abstract

Third Week of June, and: Carrying Memory Eric Marland (bio) Third Week of June When I was younger, my parents took us on tripsAdventures more likeCaving, canoeing, skiing, climbingSome turned into real adventuresSome just for us But one stands outAnd I keep going backThird week of June, my father would sayI heard it is getting close, my father would sayRhododendron I have been on mountain tops before and sinceDifferent mountains, east, west, other countriesThis one is differentIs it my history, a tie to my family?Third week of June Loaded up in a big blue vanIt was a two-hour drive at the timeIt doesn't seem so far these daysMaybe the drive made it feel more an adventureRoan Mountain We would start at Carver's GapHike up the hillside, running, laughingI remember few of the detailsMy father likes the flowers, all in bloomNot for me Peaceful, even with the wind blowingA cold wind, but a warmth of belongingHundred-mile views, but still groundedRolling mountains and treesA connection [End Page 21] But times are changing, the winds changeI go as often as I canWork and life keep me tied upBut out on the mountain it all comes backA mental resetting Some change is good, expectedBut it is not just me changingThe second week of June now mostlyThe damp winds seep throughMore turbulent somehow This year I plan to go backI will take my family, an adventureSecond week of June, it's getting closeI want to go backTo go back [End Page 22] Carrying Memory Through the park they walk side by side, slowly, down a pathBundled in bulky coats, they trace a well-worn routeBowed forward, they lean in to support each otherHands held together, hanging down like a weight They held hands when they met,a nervous novelty They held hands on the beach,in pursuit of synchrony They held hands after the first time,a bit of wonder and uncertainty They held hands when he asked,with anticipation and hope They held hands during the birth,a dichotomy of pain and joy They held hands with news of promotion,in a shared celebration They held hands when one was sick,a connection without words They held hands …Just because Through the park they walk side by side, slowly, down the pathBundled in bulky coats, they trace a well-worn routeBowed forward, they lean in to support each otherHands bound in memory, hanging down like a weight [End Page 23] Eric Marland Dr. eric marland is a professor at Appalachian State University and loves working at the boundaries between disciplines. He engages in interdisciplinary work with collaborators across many disciplines and recently began co-teaching a class in communicating science. Copyright © 2023 University of North Dakota