Home
About the Program
PPLP Calendar
Building the ARTS Community
Hoot Night
Poems From the Hoot
Meet the Poet Laureate
Esther Buffler Residency
Poet Laureates - Past
Board of Directors
Contact Us

Back to Meet the Poet


(On the rededication of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, Goodwin Park,
   Portsmouth, NH, Oct. 21 2003) Read the story in Portsmouth Herald.

        
     Monument
           By John Perrault

Look! Look at these Portsmouth boys
poised for battle

all set for marching away to the brassy bugles
the beating drums

for sailing away
under the whipping stripes of the flags
the crackling canvas
ropes flogging the air
ripping into the wind

set for waving their skinny arms
"so long"
to their still-born stone-faced mothers
their rock-faced fathers
who line the route like statues too heavy to move
too solid to cry out

"so long"
to the flush-faced women in gingham and wool
holding on to their shawls
to their hearts
holding out scented handkerchiefs for their boys
to stuff inside their shirts
to sniff and clutch and even yes to pray to
the night before the battle
the night before the day before the night that never ends

"so long"
to the grass-stained red-faced urchins
running alongside the pink-faced recruits
shouting out their brothers' names
their cousins' names

to the rag-tag army of wharf brats
shooting stick guns at the sailors
from behind the rotting pilings by the river
from behind the barrels of bait and broken staves
littering the docks

shooting at these soldiers
moving off and out down the post road
the long dirt road
disappearing into the dark around that far away bend
heading south

at these sailors
shoving off and out down the swirling foaming river
disappearing into that black sea
heading south

hauling their packs their guns their lives
beyond the last forest of New England
beyond the last light of Cape Cod
into the vast wilderness of war
answering Lincoln's call

geared up for giving
that last full measure of devotion
to save the union
to enter the mighty scourge of war
until every drop of blood drawn with the lash
shall be paid by another drawn with the sword

with malice toward none
with charity for all

two hundred and eighteen years to the day
Mr. Williams of Piscataqua
purchased at auction
the first black man ever to set foot
            and shackle
                           and chain
                                        on Portsmouth soil
                                                                in 1600 and 45.

 

(Note: words in italics are borrowed from our great poet-president, Abraham Lincoln)

                                                        Copyright 2003, John Perrault

Back to top