COOLER NEAR THE LAKE (the poem from the book by the same name)
COOLER NEAR THE LAKE
by Jim Heffernan
They say we're in God's country;
And few could argue that,
With forests tall and waters blue
And folks who’ll go to bat.
But one thing gets my dander up,
Beyond just give and take,
And that’s the report on the radio
That it’s cooler near the lake.
It happens every springtime,
And in the summer too,
Just when buds are popping
And the skies are getting blue,
When the world embraces sunshine
And our bones for warmth all ache,
It’s then you know the reports will show
That it’s cooler near the lake.
It’s only here, and nowhere else,
That such a case is true;
In nearby towns and villages,
There’s no need there to rue;
They get the balmy breezes,
They’re out with hoe and rake,
But in Duluth, you know it’s the truth,
It’ll be cooler near the lake.
Just take a ride to Hermantown,
Or Hibbing or Virginia;
Go down to Minneapolis
If you think you’ve got it in ya.
You’ll find that they are basking
In the heat, make no mistake,
But in Duluth, you know, forsooth,
It’ll be cooler near the lake.
I sometimes think the weather here
Will never get past fifty;
If it happens to rise to sixty-five
Everyone thinks it’s nifty;
By afternoon you can bet your boots,
If you don’t you’ll be a fake,
By eventide the temp will slide,
And it’ll be cooler near the lake.
We love our lake, don’t get me wrong,
Its gorgeous shining water,
But looks are only surface deep,
There are other things that matter;
Like warming bones that winter froze,
And limbs that quiver and quake,
Fat chance we’ve got to heat ‘em up
When it’s cooler near the lake.
It’s not as though we don’t get warned
By all those darn forecasters;
I swear each night, as they give our plight,
That they’re no-good dirty --------.
They say the same thing every time
When they describe our fate:
We’re sorry folks, and it’s no joke,
It’ll be cooler near the lake.
I know the day is coming when
The real God’s Country beckons,
And when St. Peter meets me there,
He’ll ask my home, I reckon.
And when I tell him it’s Duluth
He’ll say, “For heaven’s sake,
“Ain’t that the place everyone says
“Is cooler near the lake?”
“That’s it,” I’ll cry, “oh kindly saint,
And in this realm please spare,
From chilly off-lake breezes,
And winter underwear.”
“If it’s heat you want,” he’ll reply,
In the other place you’ll bake.”
“Fine, send me any place except
Where it’s cooler near the lake!”
Originally appeared in the Duluth News Tribune
on Sunday, June 3, 1979
Posts
7 comments:
i hope who ever did this pays that was so wrong i cant even count how many that tree has been there forever it was a symbol of peace in Two Harbors i hope they go to "tree jail" they deserve that at least
Anonymous:
I agree. This act is not a frivolous act. It's a serious act of violence and to something pure and beautiful in nature and to all of us who recognized it's value.. I've heard from some who think..."it's just a tree... move on." But I say, if everyone did such acts, where then is civility?
No matter where I lived, no matter where I travelled, the Honking Tree always meant "Welcome Home" to me. I am not a Two Harbors resident or native; I live in Silver Bay. But I've always loved that tree, ever since I was a very young child and lived up by the Caribou. I remember when I was in high school and someone had spray painted "SB" on it. I remember seeing "TH" spray painted on its trunk more than once and in different ways.
I loved how you could see that tree from quite a distance; something like three miles away. If you knew what to look for and where, you could just make out the top of it amid all the other trees.
I am happy that my kids were able to see the Honking Tree and are old enough to have some appreciation for something so magnificent. I am sad for a lot of different reasons, but maybe especially for the young children and the generations to come who will only ever be able to hear stories about the great tree and not see it for themselves.
KarligMor:
Thanks for sharing your perspectives about the "Honking Tree." Wonderful traditions like this tree help keep us all connected; this seems especially important for children who need hope and tradition in their young lives. So sad....
Children adopt such traditions with amazing facility. Mine, as we started up the south slope of Thompson Hill and approached Midway Road, would look at the Nopeming road sign and quietly begin to chant, “Pem, pem, pem….” I’m told the sign is no longer there.
David:
Do I detect, "We are making too much of this tree" in your comment? Still... the "pem" chant sounds like a rather fun tradition.
What about the hundreds of trees that were cut down to make way for the motorway?
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