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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 23, 2017)
FEBRUARY 23, 2017 // 19 Cathy ‘See yon hyeuk?’ says Cathy. ‘Yon’s ma life.’ Three-quarters of an inch of steel, Barbed at the hyeutter, bent, It glitters Like a jewel. Tiny. Cathy, six stone, volatile as petrol, Wiry, lean, Puts on her shawl. Pleased to see you, kettle on, Deaf as a sharpening stone To every sound Except the wireless static crackle From the boat, A little whirlwind, She pegs the sheets out in the back yard, Scrubs the step, stirs the pan, Swabs the floor: ‘When fetther hord it was Another girl He slammed the door. Aye, but He couldn’t dae wi’oot dowters, ye kna.’ Cathy, bent Beneath the creel: Home from the mussel beds, the limpet pool; Six stone of haddocks haa’ked aroond Reed Raa’, Husband, in-laws, tugging at her, kin Needing her care, Mussels to skeyn, The boat to launch, lines to bait, claes to poss, Sons to bear; Cathy, bent with pains, Years; busy as a sanderling, Never still, Down the harbour with the barrow, eyes Blue as the Coquet, bright As steel, As hard, as sharp, as necessary As a fish-hook To the house, the men; Cathy, without whom A coble could not go to sea — as vital to it As diesel, or the wind. — Katrina Porteous, Beadnell, Northumberland, England (from Two Countries, Bloodaxe Books. 2014.) What’s new at the 2017 FisherPoets Gathering If only fishing seasons were like this, each one the biggest yet. Who’s even had time to count all the fisher- poets joining us for the 20th annual FisherPoets Gather- ing? Not us. We’ve deck- loaded seven venues with them, though, and welcome the new voices among us, young and old, come from far and near. From Alaska, Maggie Bursch, Maria Dosal and Jerre Wills join us for the first time. Kirk Lombard has come up from San Francis- co. Abigail Martin joins her dad from Broadus, Montana. Washington sends us Elma Burnham, Amy Grondin, Annie Howell-Adams, Jef- frey Kahrs, Dennis Knagin, Don Pugh and Kendall Rock. Phil Meehan has come over from Portland. From here near the mouth of the Columbia Danny Keyser, RK and Cherry Rice, and Taylor Young have stopped by. We’ve had to start at 5 p.m. to get us all aboard. The Liberty Theater has invited us in Saturday night to be sure there is room enough for fisherpoet friends and fans. Like almost always, the FisherPoets Gearshack has a new address. This year we thank Mimi Rose for giving us 1184 Commercial for the weekend. We’re no longer wrestling there with old credit card machines and can thank Amanda Gladics for introducing us to 21st century technology at the cashier’s desk. You’ll find, among scores of inviting items at the silent auction and books and CDs by your favorite fisherpoets, Ray Troll’s terrific art on our 20th annual FisherPo- ets Gathering poster and T-shirts. Since space was limited this year at the Columbia River Maritime Museum, we’ve wandered down to Pier 39 Saturday morning for some of our workshops. PATRICK DIXON PDIXONPHOTOGRAPHY.COM Ed Edmo of Portland will read during the 6 p.m. set Friday at Columbian Theater and at 8 p.m. Saturday at Fort George. There’s parking for most of you who aren’t taking an early walk. You won’t find Cold Stream tied up for a visit this year, unfortunately. Though she’s in good shape, Dave Densmore’s been in the shipyard himself. You might see him crutching around on a new ankle, a poem or two sticking out his back pocket. Don’t bump him. In addition to extending open mic hours to 3 to 5 p.m. both nights at WineKraft, we’ve finagled an invita- tion from Rebecca Kraft to singers and their friends to gather there starting at 10 p.m. Saturday night. It could become a tradition. We’ve included in the program a lovely poem by fisherpoet Katrina Porteous who joined us a few years ago clear from England, which she sent this week with her good wishes for our 20th annual Gather- ing. Cathy celebrates a hard-working woman like those others we know, like us. See how it sounds aloud. Maybe ask George Wilson to read it for you. The rest of the 2017 FisherPoets Gathering should feel familiar to folks who’ve been with us awhile. We’re glad you’re here and look forward to spending the weekend with you, maybe the best ever. Again. FisherPoets Gathering thanks its silent auction donors Come by the FisherPoets Gathering Gearshack at 1184 Commercial St. and have a look. Bidding starts at 1 p.m. Friday, Feb. 24 and ends at 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25. Astoria Business Equip- ment Company Adagio Astoria Coffeehouse & Bistro Astoria Co-op Grocery Astoria Holiday Inn Express Astoria-Warrenton Cham- ber of Commerce Baked Alaska restaurant Bank of the Pacific Blue Scorcher Bakery Bridgewater Bistro Brownsmead Flats Cannery Bunkhouse at Pier 39 Cannery Pier Hotel Cargo PATRICK DIXON/ PDIXONPHOTOGRAPHY.COM Mariah Warren of Sitka, Alaska, will emcee Friday at the Fort George Lovell Showroom. Carol Newman Carruthers restaurant Clatsop County Historical Society Coast Community Radio Columbia River Coffee Roaster Columbia River Eco Tours Columbia River Maritime Museum Columbia Riverkeeper Commercial St. Antiques Copper River Fleece Fernhill Glass Finn Ware Fishpeople Seafood, Dun- can Berry Forsythea Fort George Brewery Four Winds Canvas Works Fulio’s Pastaria Gimre’s Shoes Gulley’s Butcher Shop Hotel Elliott Icicle Seafoods, Larsen Bay AK Imogen Gallery In the Boudoir Jill McVarish, artist Josephson’s Specialty Seafood Products LaRee Johnson & Andy Ciers Lightbox Photographic Gallery Lost Art Originals Lucy Barna Jewelry Maiden Astoria Myhermade Design Mary Davies Meg B Jones Jewelry Old Town Framing Pat Dixon Photography Purple Cow Toys Ratz and Co., artist Dave McMacken Ray Troll Rogue Ales Public House Senator Betsy Johnson Sesame And Lily Skipanon Brand Seafood Studio 11, Jamie Boyd Studio 11, John Clark Sweater Heads Ted Messing Victoria and Anthony Stoppiello Warrenton Deep Sea Market Wild Product Seafood
