palestine

Albuquerque 1910



Palestine, against
the furnace, cursed:
God, this hellish air
has made for worse.

Blows hot and fierce,
worm that will not die;
pierced those born,
but cannot keep.

Thirsty for
his Hoosier plow,
brave green fields,
mending springs
that bubble deep.

Corn stalks beckon,
wave in breeze,
flax hair maidens,
call retreat

over ladder back
iron tracks,
to plant his son
in their cool black sod.



willow, 2009



My great-great grandfather, Palestine, (Isn't that the greatest
name?) moved his family from Indiana to the dry climate of
Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1910, in an effort to save his handsome
25 year old son, Guy, ill with tuberculosis. When all hope for
recovery was lost, the family returned to Howard County, Indiana,
where sadly, Guy died on March 16, 1913. He was an avid
photographer, as you can see in his portrait below, following in the
footsteps of his father and grandfather.
.
Palestine and Mary, Guy's parents, are in the above photo, on the
left, taken in Albuquerque, 1910.
.

Guy Hanna, self portrait

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