Hearing the News (A Ghost Tale)

Hearing the News

January 19, 1873

Seward Township, Minnesota

Twelve days had passed                                  

before we realized

before each one could hear

the same story from Arthur

and Bertie and William

Three days for the storm to stop blowing

Another two to dig one's way

to the hog pen and the barn

to throw hay to the starving mare

Another week before

the wagons could make their way to town

before folks could hear

who lived

who had died

who lay with frozen

blackened feet

waiting for the surgeon.

I felt the storm's chill again

as Clarence told the story

how after the search party returned home

he spotted John treading the path to the barn

wearing his favorite, the blue soldier overcoat,

his hands tucked up under the cape.

"John Weston!  We thought you were frozen to death!"

"I am," came the reply, "and you'll find my body in the Brickman slough."

Before I could answer, he vanished.

I couldn't speak                                                                       

that afternoon  

sitting with John's widow,

my sister,

when she told me she'd been roused in the night

by a rap on the door

and a voice that called out,

"Do you know your husband's frozen to death?"

Francie and I both flew to the door,

but there was no one there,

and no track in the snow.

********

Loosely based upon an account in An Illustrated History of Nobles County Minnesota, by Arthur P. Rose.

Previously featured in the What Light Poetry Series at www.mnartists.org.