North of Everything

Craig Crist-Evans is the author of a book entitled North of Everything.  It is a short novel about a young boy who moves from the warmth of Miami to the chill of Vermont.  The entire story is written in verse.  It's not my style and I can't honestly recommend it, but I did really enjoy the very first "chapter."  It captured the essence of turning away from being desert girl from Las Vegas and embracing becoming Alaskan.

North of Everything
Craig Crist-Evans

Here, north of everything,
when winter's almost done
and the sun begins to climb
above the mountains,
the old Winooski thaws.

Willows wave their pale leaves,
robins dig for worms,
and I hear the lowing cows,
     voices
          drifting
               soft
across the fields.

Here, north of everything,
we boil sugar from the maple trees in March,
plant long rows of corn in June, watch
October mountainsides erupt in leafy fire.

Here, north of everything,
all winter long, we sit beside the wood stove,
drinking cider, rubbing hands
to warm ourselves.

Here, north of everything,
where seasons change their clothes
from red and yellow, then white to green,
where I have learned
that fall turns to winter,
and winter turns to spring.