[Shade of a Maple Tree]

How about these lines - "... the soul is the rock, and the rock will always roll... in circles round the sun, doin' rings around the pole. When the mind is not sure what the heart will do next, the rock becomes the master and the road becomes what's left" - from The Soul is The Rock. A little mysterious but utterly profound.

The one set of lines that never fails to generate intense imagery in my mind is from 'Now and Then': 'We tried the handle of the house on the shore, found the open door. Once inside we found a curious moonbeam doing dances on the floor. We were only playing like two children who hand stayed away from school.'

The picture that pops into my mind is that of a run-down beach house built of clapboards with a peeling coat of paint, reeds and grasses sticking out of the sand, with the moon shining down on the whole scene. You can practically smell the lake or sea air and feel the evening chill, too.

It seems to me that the use of nautical/maritime/seaside imagery has served Gord very well throughout his career!