Tag Archives: poetry

The Wild Boy Campfire, 1891

Posted on November 29, 2019 by rivertoprambles

1/ So, Mr. Goodyear and his men believed they owned the place– the forests of northern Pennsylvania, the mountains good for building railroads over, the sawmills great for gobbling up the white pine first and then the giant hemlocks… Hold … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged forest fires, Goodyear, Hawthorn, Hide-Behind, history, House of Seven Gables, lumbering, narration, nature, Pennsylvania, poetry, Salem, Wild Boy Campfire, wilderness, wildlife, witches, writing | 9 Comments

The Wild Boy Cycle, 1870

Posted on November 19, 2019 by rivertoprambles

Winter: Klukey died in a bear trap he had set near Kettle Creek. Klukey died three miles from his cabin, wandering in the deep snow till his feet accidently struck the pan. Those jaws sprang up– held him through the … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged fishing, history, Independence, jumping the back fence, literature, nature, personal narratives, poetry, seasons, Sinnemahoning, Walt Franklin, Wild Boy Cycle, writing | 16 Comments

Autumn Letter

Posted on November 11, 2019 by rivertoprambles

The day begins like a sheet of paper waiting for words. Its composition won’t go digital until later, when darkness comes again. Two bald eagles sit together on a carcass near the road as I go speeding by, wishing I … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Bob Dylan, composition, Egg, fishing, football, friendship, Henry James, hooks, letters, nature, poetry, Slate Run, trout flies, Walt Franklin, writing | 18 Comments

A Thin Man Fishing

Posted on November 7, 2019 by rivertoprambles

Physically, the thin man isn’t really thin but, looking at a thread-bare autumn day, he felt that way– just basic flesh and bone, reduced to seasonal elements. His summer garments had been stripped away, replaced by heavy clothing to ward … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged fiction, fly-fishing, hiking, invasive species, narrative, nature, non-fiction, Pennsylvania, poetry, society, thin man, Walt Franklin, wild trout, wilderness, writing | 13 Comments

Jumping the Back Fence

Posted on October 30, 2019 by rivertoprambles

Wild Boy Run was named for Lewis “Wild Boy” Stevens who settled on the Pennsylvania mountain stream in 1842. Born to alcoholic and abusive parents, Stevens “jumped the back fence” of his home (in New Jersey) at age eleven and … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged brook trout, fishing, hiking, history, jumping the fence, Lake Ontario tribs, Lewis Stevens, narrative, peace, Pennsylvania, poetry, Salmon River, small streams, war, Wild Boy Run | 18 Comments

Shape-Shifter

Posted on October 7, 2019 by rivertoprambles

My evening climbs up the seasonal roadway typically did not produce unusual wildlife sightings, but a recent walk proved to be exceptional. Before I reached my spruce and pine grove on the east side of the gravel road, I saw … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Asaph, bear, cougar, fisher, fishing, hiking, homestead, narratives, nature, poetry, psychology, shape-shifter, UFOs, Walt Franklin, wild economy, writing | 23 Comments

The Caddis Hour

Posted on October 2, 2019 by rivertoprambles

The Caddis Hour is not so much about fishing as it is a state of mind. I visited a stretch of Genesee River that I probably hadn’t waded in a decade. It was mid-morning. River pools, low and thirsty, were … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged birds, blessings, brown trout, caddis, Chester Rods, Earth, environment, fly-fishing, Genesee River, nature, poetry, populations, psychology, Time, wildness, writing | 12 Comments

Gray Hair and Grizzly Hackle

Posted on September 18, 2019 by rivertoprambles

Ever since I joined several outdoor organizations and started to attend their regular meetings in the 1990s, I’ve been hearing a general complaint: Look around this room. Our hair is gray. We need some younger people, bright new faces interested … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged activism, brown trout, commentary, community, environment, fishing, nature, poetry, Slate Run, society, Time, Walt Franklin, writing, youth | 18 Comments

Just Good Fishing

Posted on September 12, 2019 by rivertoprambles

The cooling temperatures of late summer and early fall brings a spike in fish behavior and in human interest on the stream. Although I’m anchored to another academic year, I try to focus on the local streams and overgrown trails … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged autumn, cardinal flower, fly-fishing, good fishing, headwaters, nature, origins, poetry, roots, sense of place, Tricos, wild trout, writing | 16 Comments

Thinking Like a Creek

Posted on August 26, 2019 by rivertoprambles

1. Stumbling from the lean-to late one night, relieve an aching bladder. Stars shine brightly through the broken canopy of Baxter wilds. I think of The Maine Woods by Thoreau: “In the night I dreamed of trout fishing.” Silence, like … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged fly-fishing, home, nature, ocean, philosophy, poetry, reading the water, small streams, Thinking Like a Creek, travel, Walt Franklin, Water, writing | 11 Comments