SECRETS OF THE SOILBy Mary Winter
Reflections of a Working Wheel
Mt. Baker looms
behind the old iron wheel
Of an artist's view
of secrets of the soil.
The mountain yields the water
from its peak of snow
To irrigate the crops
and grass below.
The farm implements welded on the wheel
Portray a history of farming a century ago.
The harrow's spike for cultivating the soil,
The pick axe for hewing the stumps of trees.
The scythe for cutting the grass and the weeds.
The horseshoe, the symbol of good luck to the seeds.
The pitchfork for tossing the hay,
The lever for dislodging or prying away.
The axe handle to hew the logs for the barn,
The hinges for the gates and the new barn door,
The hook to attach to the workhorse, a Belgian,
To pull logs for the log barn and stanchion.
A century ago there were no balers or tractors.
The farmers toiled on the land unaware of these factors.
Organic farming, rotation of crops and recycling occurred.
The farmer, the man working with nature, observed.
Copyright © 2006 Mary Winter. Used with permission
Mary Winter was born and raised in Merritt, BC and moved into Vancouver to enter St. Paul's School of Nursing when she was eighteen. After graduation she earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Honours Physiology. Mary then taught nursing for the next twenty years or so. She moved to Aldergrove in the 80's and became a maternity nurse at MSA Hospital.
After her retirement she attended UCFV and graduated with a diploma from in Fine Arts; where she specialized in painting and print making. In 2002, Mary graduated from the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design with a bachelor of Fine Arts Degree; majoring in Visual Arts.
Since she was a child, Mary was often writing poems that accompanied her sketches and paintings. For her graduation show from Emily Carr in 2002, Mary teamed poems with her oil paintings. Her first poem was published in 1980, it was a eulogy for a friend that died in an avalanche.
Mary is the mother of two sons and is married to Karl; an avid mountain climber. While Karl climbs, Mary remains at the base, painting and writing; stimulated by the natural world around her.
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