Elegy From Millinocket
By Chantelle Flores
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鈥淓legy From Millinocket鈥 delves into our collaborative identity with nature in reflecting on my great grandmother鈥檚 embrace of nature in daily life. I question the common notion of a 鈥榬eturn鈥 to nature, as how can one return to a world they have never truly left? Although we spend a majority of our time in domestic spaces, we inherently rely on and surround ourselves with natural products and find ourselves commonly traveling, whether by foot or car, through natural spaces. We often only acknowledge a connection, or 鈥榬eturn,鈥 to nature in our intentional and brief interactions: an outdoor expedition, a vacation, or photography session. Yet, what happens and changes when we view everyday actions, hobbies, and even homes as artistic moments鈥搈oments warranting reflection, collaboration, and admiration鈥搊f nature? Part of conservation and sustainability efforts rely on building personal relationships and emotional connections with nature among community members, and finding moments of collaboration between ourselves and nature within daily life presents opportunities for increased awareness and care toward our environments.
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Katahdin鈥檚 the only one watching
as we sip stories through tear-stained napkins.
My eulogy鈥檚 flown with the northern wind
by the time my cousin begins the dig.
They tell of forests felled into fields,听
of the produce, corn and potatoes, and
of my great grandmother鈥檚 child hands
boring holes in the soil of the family plot.听
They reassure a return to the earth
as if she abandoned these aspens in life,听
but the daisies on my dress match those at her stone
like the daylilies and daisies back at her home.听
The bird bath beyond her trailer window
now fills with algae and feathers.
The wooden ramp rising to her front door
now weathers and lies leaf-littered.听
Surely she admires seeing Katahdin now
having grown up in its stately shadow,听
but all I鈥檓 left to admire is all she has tended,听
her petaled children nestled in their garden beds.
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