4 Poems

1.

The Pine Barrens once

had their own particular witch.

Pineys put salt over their doors

to discourage visits

from the Witch of the Pines,

Peggy Clevenger. It

was known she could turn

into a rabbit,

for a rabbit jumped through

the window and there -

in the same instant,

stood Peg Cleven-ger.

On another occasion,

a man, kill a lizard by

crushing with rock.

Disappear Peg-gy

‘terial-ized, smacked

the man. Clev-enger

lived in Pasadena,

5 east of Mt. Miser

-y. It was said that she had

a stocking full of old.

Her remains were found but

no trace of the gold.

2.

The Pine Barrens

once

had their own particular witch.

the Witch of the Pines,

Peggy Clevenger.

It was known

she could turn herself into a rabbit,

a dog was once seen chasing a rabbit and the rabbit jumped

through the window of a house and there

- in the same instant, in the window –

stood Peggy Clevenger.

On another occasion,

a man saw a lizard and tried to kill it by crushing it. When

the rock hit the lizard, the lizard

disappeared and Peggy Clevenger materialized on the spot and

smacked the man in the face.

It was said

she had a stocking full of gold.

Her remains were found

one morning

in the smoking ruins of her cabin, but

there was no trace of

 the gold.

3.

We had come to a clearing where thous

-ands of blue-berry bushes grew. a low

building with open win-dows

on all sides. In front of it was a school

bus marked “Labor Transport.”

The driver stood be-

side his bus. A tall

man. He wore gree

-n trousers and a T-shirt. The end

had come. Pickers were swarming

around a pump - old women, middle-aged men

A line was waiting

Inside the packing house, berries

were rolling up a belt. eventually

into pint boxes. Charlie’s sister

was packing the boxes. Charlie

-’s daughter

-in-law was putting

cellophane.

 Jim was sup’vising

 the operation. Charlie told me

with disgust some chains kno-

ck off mounds, three extra berries

per twelve-box tray. At one win-dow,

turning in tickets. They were

given cash in return. One picker,

in his sixties, tapped Charlie

showed him tickets held together

“I found these,” the

man said. “The-y

must have fallen. Tickets

are worth sevent-y.”

4.

In the center of it was the packing house –

a small, low building

open and screenless windows.

 “Farm Labor Transport.”

The driver - tall and amiable,

bare feet, green trousers a T-shirt.

The end of the working day.

Pickers swarming around a pump

- old women, middle-aged men, a young girl.

to use an outhouse.

Inside the packing house,

Berries

half an ounce thick

rolling up a conveyor belt

into pint boxes.

Charlie’s sister

packing boxes.

Charlie’s daughter-in-law

cellophane over them.

Charlie’s son Jim

supervising.

Charlie picked up a pint box

berries mounded high,

“Some supermarket chains knock off these mounds

and put them in new boxes,

three of four extra berries pints per twelve-box tray.”

At one window,

pickers turning in tickets,

various colors,

cash in return.

One picker,

at least in his sixties,

tapped Charlie -

a thick packet of tickets

held together with

rubber band.

“I found these,

They must have fallen.

Your son’s pocket.”

Charlie said - “Worth

seventy-five dollars.”