Hawk-Owl The frozen bog lies silent, white, and black; A few fine flakes of snow sift slowly down On stunted spruce and wind-torn tamarack As gray light fades and night comes early on … —Burt Porter Through vivid imagery and an eloquent voice, Vermont’s ardent naturalist and traditional poet, Burt Porter, brings nature to life in a collection of poems that rhythmically explore the North Country, its beauty, and inhabitants. Porter’s thoughtful poems reflect on a variety of themes and subjects that include the four seasons, love, rainbows, milkweed, and the twinned seeds of a maple tree. As he leads others down a lyrical path, Porter shines a light on the spectacular beauty of Vermont and a simplistic life that can only be found in a countryside where cattle doze in darkened barns, a bank of fog hangs in the sun-warmed air, and love lives in quiet ways. “In all of the best senses, Burt Porter is America’s best, and perhaps last, bard. I love every poem in the collection.”—Howard Frank Mosher, award-winning author