Out on the Ice

The Ice Cutters by Natalia Goncharova

I have a friend who has a house built around ice. The center of her house is the old Red River Ice House. Attached to the side was the general store her family owned. Behind the ice house was the first residence. As the family grew they wrapped the home around the ice house providing ever growing insulation to the timber and sawdust filled walls and roof. Selling the ice in the summer months was how the family afforded the ever more surrounding home as the family expanded until there was no need for the ice house and it became a pantry. Its original purpose forgotten.

Out on the Ice

The ice cutters 

walk the ice.

It must be strong

to hold the horse and sleigh.

Solid

to last the year.

The ice cutters

cut the blocks

on the coldest of days

careful 

to not weaken it

with the holes they leave.

The blocks of ice

stored

in ice houses

will keep the fish caught

and game killed in fall

edible

through the thaw.

J. Binford-Bell

December 1911