Welcome to the last Poetry Friday of 2021, this week hosted by Carol Here. Thank you, Carol, for hosting! Happy Holidays to all. I for one am ready to welcome in a new year.
A couple of week ago the Poetry Princesses presented a prompt to write a poem that has to do with bells. You can find out more about this group of poets on Laura Purdie Salas’ blog Here.
The first thing that came to mind, since I live near Syracuse, are what used to be known as “salt bells.” They were used to warn of bad weather.
In the 1800’s, when the solar salt industry boomed in the Fingerlakes of NY, the salty brine that bubbled up from under the lakes held valuable salt.
One hundred and fifty years ago, thousands of 14 foot long shallow wooden vats covered acres of land around Syracuse. In these vats, salt water was evaporated leaving piles of salt. It was plentiful and the main source of salt for the Union Army in the 1860’s. Salt profits had built the Erie Canal. Men would rake it up the salt and place it in willow baskets to be dried and shipped away by Canal boat or railcar.
But rain would ruin salt. So, if rain clouds threatened, the salt boss in the salt yard would ring the salt bell and everyone, even the dogs, so they said, would run to roll the covers over the vats and save the precious salt.
I once wrote a story about a salt dog, and I tried to write a poem about the salt bell, but didn’t find it poetic enough. Instead, I wrote another poem about bells.
I thought of the ways bells are useful, from gathering people together, locating animals, entertaining, warning of danger, etc. And I was surprised at all the vocabulary for bell sounds.
BELLS
Jingles
knells
tinkles
tolls
touching the soul,
warning of fire,
some sounds are joyful,
others are dire.
Cow bells are noisy
thingamabobs!
School bells, church bells,
each has a job,
to chime
clang
ding dong
or peel
And oh how different
each bell makes me feel.
©Janice Scully 2021
Have a happy and healthy New Year! Thank you, Carol, for hosting.
What a wonderful bit of history. I didn’t know that salt came from the Finger Lakes. I wonder if that has anything to do with the grapes and wineries too? Fascinating. And, way to go with a bell poem. Yes, different bells…different feels.
That is fascinating about the salt bells, Janice! Your poem’s delightful, and it made me focus on the words and sounds. So many /n/ and /l/ sounds in words related to bells. Hope you have fun RINGING IN the New Year–hehe!
Janice, I always love your stories about the area where you grew up–the salt bells intrigue me and I know your eventual poem will be worth the wait. In the meantime, yes–“bell” is a very rich concept with lots and lots of great language to work with. Wishing you a ringing New Year!
I really enjoyed this history, Janice, all new to me! And despite “just” a poem about bells, it seems you struck a tone : ) I love that ending, too, & amongst all the other poems I’ve been reading, I don’t think anyone used “peel” – nice to read! Happy New Year!
That is the coolest thing – I’ve never heard of salt bells. We live here by salt marshes in NorCal, and they just turn weird colors – nobody does much of anything to them anymore. And don’t the various bells just make us feel all kinds of ways! Their voices differ so.
Thanks for jumping in to our challenge this month and happy New Year!
It’s been fun to read all of the different bell poems. And I love, love, love learning history through stories. Your story of the salt bells is a perfect example of that. I think it would make a great picture book for older kids.
Wait, is that where the expression “a salty dog” comes from? What a fascinating bit of history… And your poem is completely spot on–so many bells, with so many sounds, and so many purposes. I feel as if we could write poems about bells for days and days! (And please keep trying with the salt bell poem; I’d love to read it.)
I don’t think that’s where “salty dog” comes from. I think it refers to an old seafaring man.:) something like that. Thanks for reading and your kind comments.
Janice, I loved hearing the history of the Salt City area. I never heard of the salt bells – am fascinated by the information. My family did visit the Salt Museum one time when we traveled back to Syracuse. I remember being amazed because I never heard stories about the history of Syracuse other than the Erie Canal stories. Your poem is delightful. I also explored different words about the ringing of bells. Happy New Year to you.
Thanks for the history lesson, and a fabulous bell poem. Isn’t this the truth: “And oh how different /
each bell makes me feel.”
I’m with Heidi, also intrigued by the salt bells and would love reading a poem with them… I like that you fit “thingamabobs!” into your bell poem, a favorite word of mine, it gives it added fun and a resounding ring, thanks Janice!