Neighbor
my friend is a gardener
my friend is a painter
my friend is a poet
my friend plays music
my friend
is magical
his voice is the voice of all the winds
the hot wind, the cold wind
the wind that blows through the trees
the wind that blows over the ocean
the wind that blows down city streets
the wind that blows golden fall leaves
and green spring grass
the wind that carries stories
that predicts the future and reveals the past
my friend's voice is the voice of animals
frog and hare, goat and crow, rooster and spider
he has the voice of children
and the voices of their fathers
and the voice of their grandmothers
yes, his is a big voice
that calls out proudly to the world
and yes, he is proud to be who he is
my friend
just so!
Jack Merrill
My note: I found this on Facebook today, posted by the Ashley Bryan Center
Jack's note: "just so" is a Caribbean expression that roughly means "that's just the way it is"
Facebook note: Jack and Erica Merrilll and their two kids were Ashley's neighbor and friend for over 40 years.
My note: The Merrill family is a wonderful family....I taught both the kids and Erica was my friend and colleague at MDES for many years. Jack is/was a lobster fisherman and one of the nicest people I've known. They were "from" Islesford, but lived in NEH during the school year so the kids could attend MDES.
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