Written by
Susan W. Smith posted on January 13, 2015 12:36
There is no place like home and for many, home is the Thousand Islands.
Thomas K. Hunt, a poet, says this is where his roots will be, forever! We met him on Facebook when he shared a poem with TI life. Tom, has been away for almost 38 years, first in New Jersey and now Florida, but he returns every year and suggests that all his Clayton friends, whether they live in the North Country or not, still feel the same way.
Tom graduated from Thousand Islands High School in 1976. Maybe you remember him as a bartender at O’Brien’s? 1976 was the US Bicentennial and the summer had a “big oil spill” on the River. He moved to Florida in the fall of ‘76, thinking he would take a year off and then go to college. But as he says, “life happens” and he moved back to Clayton in 1979 and once again was a bartender at O’Brien’s.
“That was the best summer of my life.” He claims. Then a job opportunity came from New Jersey to work for an oil-spill clean-up company. He spent the next 20 years there, met his wife Dale, and raised a family.
“I didn't start writing until I moved away in 1976. I started missing what I had, growing up - both friends and family - and just started writing about them. The words seemed to flow at times and it just felt so natural. One of the first poems I wrote was “I long to be in the Islands.” I remember writing it and the asking myself, wow, did I write that?”
The Hunt family is well-known in the region. Tom's father, Joseph (Pete) Hunt, was born and raised in Alexandria Bay. A fighter pilot in World War II, he met his wife, Bette, in Ohio in the 1940s. When they moved to the River, they settled in Clayton. Pete died in 1983, at the age of 60 and Tom’s mother, this past November at 92. Bette spent many years working to support the River Hospital Auxiliary. Tom suggests that even though she was not born in the Islands, she was a true Islander.
The following are a small sample - Enjoy. (Photographs shared by our TI Life readers)
I know it's an Antique by Thomas K. Hunt Through beers and tears Through card filled night They played their games But in the morning light They were back at their trade Making them right The way they ride through the river It's such a beautiful sight They made something from the right thing They made it sturdy and strong They knew what would happen Avoided what could go wrong They put it all together Then others came around These were the boat builders in our town They made them slick and fast They made them long and lean We know they made them to last They are living testimonies Do you just cruise around? Do you still go for speed? I know it's antique I can tell by its sleek They knew what they were doing They understood the need They built them for pleasure Not one thought of greed They did it right They're still holding tight They don't make them like that anymore Sit back easy, go as you go In your mind you already know You're going to throw that throttle You're going to let that beauty fly Just out of respect you're always going to try They'd be proud today to see the way we parade their pride Who knows maybe they're along for the ride They just get lost in the sound They were the boat builders in our town Copyright © 2015 Thomas K. Hunt | The River Still Flows Through by Thomas K. Hunt Here’s a little something I’m sure you’ll relate About the river that flows from a lake When you hear this I know you’ll agree This is the place for you and me The beautiful Saint Lawrence flows It runs out across this land Flowing through so many souls I see now was nature’s plan Her waters surround a sacred place To live there you would know Nourished by the fresh clean air The soil's rich and the roots take hold Baptized in her waters She then flowed within my soul As she does with all the others Strays, that still call it home I wish I was on the edge Standing on her shore If that wish did come true I wouldn't wish for anything more Bathe me in her cool spring waters Let me walk her frozen path Passed down from sons and daughters From the legends of their past All the children know the feel From the river where they got their start I know now that you agree This place holds your heart I wish I were there sitting next to you I remember you from a younger day I remember the smile in your eyes I remember you no other way We knew that was the place We knew it from the start We could see it in each other’s face We still feel it in our hearts Living under circumstance Forced to be on the roam Longing for that day to come The day we make it home You may get out of the water But the river still flows through No matter where you go my friend The river's going to flow through you Copyright © 2014 Thomas K. Hunt |
Loving Memories by Thomas K. Hunt People with smiling faces have the hearts to feed the world Smiles come from the heart They should plant their smiles before they disappear We need beautiful smiles to blossom every year Nickel candy at the corner store You know the one I'm talking about Everything that was near was far I could call you with just a shout We'd yell “gun it” to the captain then we'd jump right in Rode that backwash down the river for another spin Laid back and enjoyed the thrill of those rides We did it right there off of Riverside Drive It was the center of the world Right there where Mary meets John Close your eyes and picture that time Go on travel back in your mind The innocent days enjoyed so many ways Just the thought should bring a smile I'm sure you're smiling right now Smiling of a thought you haven't thought for a while Kicking hard to reach the sky Little faces in the sun Minds full of the why's Surrounded by a river of fun It doesn't matter of the time It's there to cross the mind It's always been on track Creating memories to bring back Think back to when you stood there too There's been more than a time or two You've been traveling, you may be right there Dig up a smile go on and share No matter how far you roam No matter how far you've gone It's still the center of the world Right there where Mary meets John This is all about you Bring back your own memory This is who you are Share a smile between you and me You don't have to be alone Plant your smile in the ground Harvest before it ripens Don't let it turn into a frown You can always find another They should be planted all around They're so easily addressable They're so easily found I just had a sweet memory of you I'm smiling once again This time for something new This smiling thing never ends It comes from the center of the world Right there where Mary meets John Close your eyes and picture that time Review a loving memory in your mind Copyright © 2014 Thomas K. Hunt | My Home by Thomas K. Hunt Birds have flown south with the last fall breeze Bright colored leaves lay scattered from their trees As winter slowly steals the scene Clean crisp air surrounds us We pull our coats in tight We scurry through the shortest days We prepare for the longest nights Soon the river will be frozen A constant in the circle of it's life Closing the gap between the islands Brought together by fields of white A portrait laid out on natures canvas A vision of beauty seen with any eye The nights are cold but warming As you gaze at the star filled sky There is peace and solitude in my paradise My roots from there still grow Among the snow, wind, and ice Will always be my home Copyright © 2014 Thomas K. Hunt Song of the River by Thomas K. Hunt Long ago Next to my window in the night I'd find my bed and lie down Turn my head just right And listen for the song of the river
Flowing within its rhythm A wave crashes with a rock A bass breaks the surface A lone goose trails his flock Some midnight cruiser Heading for home Hear the hum of his engine A fading pitch tone The roll of the Lakers Keeps the beat along the way Two pass each other in stereo Then the horns begin to play A peaceful easy feeling Yes that’s another song But your senses get reeling This is where you belong The melody of the river Is free and there for you Just turn down your volume Let that symphony come through As for me, I'll bide my time Keep dreaming of the day To hear the song of the river That river shore can play Copyright © 2014 Thomas K. Hunt |
Blossoms in the Wind by Thomas K. Hunt Blown away like others Others yet to come Carried south by a northern wind Is a son of a St. Lawrence son Separated by necessity Forced to choose another way Dreaming of the setting sun Reflecting ambers across the bay The river lives forever Perpetual flow of fresh and clean And like his father before him He knows what the river means The innocence of childhood The wisdom of the old The beauty in a summer night The winters long and cold The simplicity of friendship Effortlessly taken in Hearts joined together From beginning to the end Buried in the fertile ground Separated by the known Family members all laid down Under rows of faded stones Each their own Gardner Sowed their seeds to reap more Blossoms carried with the wind From roots by the St. Lawrence shore Copyright © 2014 Thomas K. Hunt | Autumn in Clayton by Thomas K. Hunt Step into the breeze At summers end It's your favorite time It's Fall again Put on a sweater Maybe wear a hat Time for the Witch’s cat Everything's golden, yellow, and red A pile of leaves Make a colorful bed Distant cheers from a football field The hero scores and his fate is sealed Once in glory A small taste of fame That's not his story He just loved the game Every year you live for this chill The one that falls Over McCarn's hill The echoing burst From a blind that has sight So many fly away To rest their wings at night It's not a season But a feeling inside A full bright moon Fills the night sky Millions of stars Diamonds of light Autumn in Clayton On an October night Copyright © 2014 Thomas K. Hunt |
Thomas is a member of Pathetic.org, a poetry circle originating at California State University, Fullerton campus. Be sure to check out his material. In addition he has an active facebook page.
By Susan W. Smith, Editor, info@thousandislandslife.com