Violent Betty

I was up early—the sun rises quite early in Saskatoon—got my things packed and ready and went out for a little walk to get my daily photos done. Travel days and full work days tend to make taking photographs a bit difficult, and I hate having to do emergency blips. This (R told me when I showed her the photo) apparently is a local band's car and trailer. I didn't look it up.

After getting back to the apartment, I met up with R for coffee and a muffin, then we headed back to get my stuff to go to the airport. I was a little quiet as we crossed the river heading back to the apartment, and she asked me what I was thinking. I told her something like, "Oh... Saskatoon." I guess I don't recall exactly what I said, but I recall exactly what I was thinking:

PALIMPSEST

Farewell, Saskatoon.
Farewell to your prairie-borne flatland streets.
So long to your wide-river crossings.
Au'voir to your much-too-early sunrises.
Good-bye to your palimpsests.

I came.
I saw.
I conjured.

And now,
now that I'm leaving,
you can breathe
your long
deep
friendly
foreign
sigh
of
relief.