JOANNA (FLYNN) REICHHOLD has been performing poems, original songs, and sea chanties at Fisher Poets since 2003. She lives in the greater bioregion FishTree (a.k.a Salmon Country)-- from Cordova, Alaska to Arcata, California. She's done seven boat seasons as a deckhand: seining, gillnetting, and tendering on the Copper River Flats and Prince William Sound. She's also been seen performing at the Kodiak OutLoud! Festival, New Bedford's Working Waterfront festival, Elko's Cowboy Poetry Gathering, and at Cordova's 'In Em' Fisher Folk Festival.
Her movie, SalmonsKin, a collaboration with videographer Thomas Dunklin, has been featured at the Wild and Scenic Film Festival.
She has one book out, SalmonsKin, available for purchase and the accompanying film 'SalmonsKin', an 11-minute music+poetry+salmon sensual extravanganza. She also has 2 CD's out, with songs, short stories, and poems. She can be reached at salmonmoon@animail.net. Her radio handle is High Pockets.
Her movie, SalmonsKin, a collaboration with videographer Thomas Dunklin, has been featured at the Wild and Scenic Film Festival.
She has one book out, SalmonsKin, available for purchase and the accompanying film 'SalmonsKin', an 11-minute music+poetry+salmon sensual extravanganza. She also has 2 CD's out, with songs, short stories, and poems. She can be reached at salmonmoon@animail.net. Her radio handle is High Pockets.
AUDIO
WRITINGS
F/V Questionnaire for Potential Deckhands
Well, do you mind rain and mold? Do you mind bein' cold?
And have you done things you didn't want to?
And when the captain screamed 'Do It' did ya do as yer told?
Cuz if you whine on this boat it'll haunt you.
Can you spot up a tender from a hundred miles out?
Can you see every ripple and jumper?
If we take you to town, will you still come around
In the morning just for to bilge pump her?
Oh say can you cook, and have you been booked?
By the cops -- and yay's the right answer.
And ya'd better like slime, but not be it yourself--
but get slime, in the cabin, you can't sir.
Well ya gotta wear rubber from yer head to yer toes,
and sleepin' you'd best not be doin'.
And sometimes the jellies they'll get up yer nose
But our coffee ya'd better keep brewin'.
Have ya got a good truck? Have you got the fish luck?
If you puke can keep right on fishing?
On a boat -- if yer stuck -- does your attitude suck?
Cuz for land we just can't have you wishing.
Can you move very fast? Do you always have gas?
Can you keep us from killing each other?
Will you listen and gasp, through our many tales crass
About old times and mischiefs and lovers?
Well every screws loose with this strange ship and crew.
We're beings just too old for mending.
And we're all quite deaf, and we list to the left--
and we all for each other are fending.
So we need someone fine to keep us in line.
A mate we can boss and give trouble.
Not too big for their britches, who loves to do dishes,
And who'll come when we call -- on the double!
If all this you can, be you woman or man,
deal with and no, we ain't lyin'--
Then sign up right here as fast as you can,
Cuz to set off from land we are tryin'.
So sign on that line, and don't waste our time.
Two percent, and your share might be growin'!
Just bring us some wine and all your things fine--
Hey now. Wait! Oh, say, where ARE you goin'?
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The Original Language of Boats
I. Weather
Water tone, wind diction--
All tongues confess.
Long in the ribs, we're 'V'-ed in the bow.
Universal language of work and wait,
of floats and fins.
Cloud letters, wave vowels, guttural ripple.
Pitch and roll, tongue and groove.
Wind on the mind
Wind in the face.
Wind, the pen.
Water, the only way to move.
II. Duty
If you can't be loyal to your own life
If you can't be true to another's
You can tend to this one boat, her wave-lorn parts--
Kiss clean her sailor's mouth.
Have, as bride, one brine-lip't sea.
III. History
Every inch of her a preface, a legend every bolt and plank and cleat.
Another story, every drop in the ocean.
Every hand, a living sacrifice--
their tall-masted tales, driven towards dawn
With worlds below deck, & not all gods above.
Can't you hear them? The ships, floating
Through any era, towards every port.
Their main catch myths, their by-catch mortals.