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At dawn, pine trees stand
whipped-cream white.
Fence posts, capped like
ice cream cones,
gleam like diamonds.
My white cat,
now invisible,
casts a shadow
as the sun rises.
An extended white comforter
blankets the green fields
of my winter wheat.
Sounds of shovels
clearing pathways
are slash marks
through the stillness.
From Find Me a Word Tree and Other Poems (2011).
Used with permission.
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Edward Hujsak (1925 - 2018) was born in New Hampshire to a Polish farming family. A chemical engineering graduate of the University of New Hampshire, Ed worked on propulsion systems at General Dynamics during development of the Atlas and Centaur rockets. He was propulsion engineer on John Glenn's famous orbital flight and served as chief of preliminary design at General Dynamics Astronautics Division for ten years, accumulating more than a dozen patents in the aerospace field. In addition to his numerous engineering achievements, Ed was a writer, artist, sculptor, and builder of furniture and musical instruments. In his spare time, Ed made more than 2000 wooden birds, dogs, and race cars for the San Diego Fine Woodworkers Association, which distributes toys to sick and needy children.
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Jancan:
Vividly descriptive and appealing!
Posted 02/01/2024 11:48 PM
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Judy:
I love Hujsak's poem--the imagery is vivid and sweeter than sweet!
Posted 02/01/2024 04:00 PM
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CamilleBalla:
Beautiful poem brought alive with sounds of the shovels. What a full and impressive life story!
Posted 02/01/2024 02:02 PM
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Lori Levy:
Beautiful.
Posted 02/01/2024 01:23 PM
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RonPoems:
I regret I never met Edward Hujsak. We must have lived within a few miles of each other.
Posted 02/01/2024 11:24 AM
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KevinArnold:
Yes, fun and craft.
Posted 02/01/2024 10:54 AM
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Wilda Morris:
Beautiful poem; beautiful life story.
Posted 02/01/2024 10:31 AM
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featheredfolly:
What an inspirational life. He lived the answer to Mary Oliver's question. No wonder you miss him. Beautiful poem.
Posted 02/01/2024 10:11 AM
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Sharon Waller Knutson:
Love that everything described in this poem is white, even the comforter. Favorite imagery: whipped-cream white.
Fence posts, capped like
ice cream cones,
gleam like diamonds.
My white cat,
Posted 02/01/2024 08:34 AM
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michael escoubas:
Wonderful bio of this most interesting man who writes with a no-words-wasted style. His poems "lift-off."
Posted 02/01/2024 08:26 AM
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Larry Schug:
Very much like the picture that lines 6-9 paints.
Posted 02/01/2024 08:18 AM
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NormaB:
So many great images. Just perfect!
Posted 02/01/2024 07:54 AM
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Jonesy:
Nice poem! Great ending! I'm surprised he had any spare time!!!
Posted 02/01/2024 06:20 AM
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