[David Kramer at the Lower Falls near the Seth Green Trail, Photo: Dean Tucker, 6/18/16 from Celebrating the roses of Maplewood. But like Sam Patch, Talker is Gorged]
We’ve met poet and educator Kitty Jospé many times, most recently in Local Poet offers an Acrostic/Telestich poem about the Highland Crossing Trail.
Kitty Jospé from Kitty Jospé provides noon nourishment for the mind at Rundel.
In the spirit of NaPoWriMo, or National Poetry Writing Month, several local groups have formed for writing a poem a day in April. Yesterday’s prompt reads: Choose Your Own Adventure book. What adventure are you on? How is it going? Do you play by the rules of the book?
Kitty came up with an “exercise” using only the end words of “Seneca” and “everything.”
To fulfill the prompt, Kitty searched Talker for a suitable Rochester adventure. She found George Cassidy Payne’s Trailblazers: Reflections from the Ancient Indian Trails of Western and Central New York, prompting a trek by Kitty to the Seth Green Trail in Maplewood Park.
Kitty says:
Exploring the Seth Green Trail, thanks to reading about it from the Talker was a lot of fun… It got me to thinking about the Seneca, the fact that the old Indian trail does not get the recognition for the historical site it is… or even the story behind Seth Green’s understanding of fish which is explained at the head of the trail.
In the poem inspired by the trek, the last lines are in smaller font than the others, shifting in size from 12 – 11 – 10 – 9. A sort of subconscious reference to what is invisibilized… forgotten,… but still there.
— Kitty Jospé, Rochester, NY, April 6th, 2021 [Photo of Kitty at the Lower Falls taken by Nicholas Jospé]
NOTES
¹ 1. Treat the Earth and all that dwell therein with respect
2. Remain close to the Great Spirit
3. Show great respect for your fellow beings
4. Work together for the benefit of all Mankind
5. Give assistance and kindness wherever needed
6. Do what you know to be right
7. Look after the well-being of Mind and Body
8. Dedicate a share of your efforts to the greater Good
² “The Expedition you are appointed to command is to be directed against the hostile tribes of the Six Nations of Indians, with their associates and adherents. The immediate objects are the total destruction and devastation of their settlements, and the capture of as many prisoners of every age and sex as possible. It will be essential to ruin their crops now in the ground and prevent their planting more. I would recommend, that some post in the center of the Indian Country, should be occupied with all expedition, with sufficient quantity of provisions whence parties should be detached to lay waste all the settlements around, with instructions to do it in the most effectual manner, that the country may not be merely overrun, but destroyed.”General George Washington’s orders to destroy all Haudenosaunee men, women and children, 1778.”
³ Treaty With the Six Nations, 1794 (Yale Law School)
EDITOR’S NOTE
When I first saw Kitty’s accompanying image for the poem, I had some questions. I know her husband Nicholas is an accomplished photographer. Why then does the image suspiciously look like it was taken with a mobile phone? (Normally only photos from real cameras are allowed in Talker.)
Kitty explains:
My husband has a real camera and takes real photos… it just so happened, we were biking and the cell phone fits so conveniently in the pocket. There were a ton more photos he took — for sure would have been better with a real camera — the echo of shadows… the lighting of trees — so many anthropomorphic — faces… dancing positions, etc. the “snapshots” are just to give an idea. It’s a photographer’s paradise with the cliffs, the water, etc…
I accepted Kitty’s apologia and cut her and Nick some slack.
SEE
Trailblazers: Reflections from the Ancient Indian Trails of Western and Central New York
Seth Green: The Most Important Fisherman in American History
OTHER ADVENTURES AT THE LOWER FALLS
Hike to Rico’s Cave: An Experience Of “Two Rochesters” by Austin Retzlaff
Celebrating the roses of Maplewood. But like Sam Patch, Talker is Gorged
