Tucking me into bed
making sure I had a glass of water and a vitamin
Yes Mutti, I remembered

Now Will you read to me?
Joining us in the room is a warm orange glow
a still lively pine fire cracks

Grandmother would look on a tall shelf of books
long books and short books
wide books and thin books
and she would choose one for me

"I am Paddle-to-the-Sea," she would read softly
I extended my toes into a cool corner of the bed

A young Canadian Indian boy from Nipigon country
carving a small wooden boat, wishing he could journey
From the Great Lakes past wild animals and saw mills
to the Atlantic

I pulled the crisp sheet over my eyes
the lamp becoming brighter
and brighter as Mutti read on until I fell asleep
just after her soft kiss good night
thank you for reading to me Mutti

– Aaron James Everhart
Presenting to EZL on the occasion of her 90th birthday.

Tags: poem, EZL, Mutti

Aaron Everhart has just provided a number of interesting documents for the site, including several articles, two Janzten annual reports and an update on the donation of Carl Jantzen's records to the Oregon Historical Society. I've posted all of these in the Files section. Thank you, Aaron!