The 42nd Parallel

The Camera Eye (22)

all week the fog clung to the sea and the cliffs at noon there was just enough warmth of the sun through the fog to keep the salt cod drying on the flakes gray flakes green sea gray houses white fog at noon there was just enough sun to ripen bakeapple and wildpear on the moorlands to warm the bayberry and sweetfern mealtimes in the boardinghouse everybody waited for the radio operators the radio operators could hardly eat yes it was war

Will we go in? will Britain go in?

Obligations according to the treaty of… handed the ambassador his passports every morning they put out the cod on the flakes spreading them even in the faint glow of the sun through the fog

a steamer blowing in the distance the lap of the waves against piles along the seaweedy rocks scream of gulls clatter of boardinghouse dishes

War declared expedit… Big battle in the North Sea German Fleet Destroyed BRITISH FLEET DESTROYED GERMAN SQUADRON OFF CAPE RACE loyal Newfoundlanders to the colors Port closed at St. Johns Port aux Basques

and every evening they brought in the cod off the flakes clatter of boardinghouse dishes and everybody waiting for the radio operators

lap of the waves against the piles of the wharf, scream of gulls circling and swooping white in the white fog a steamer blowing in the distance and every morning they spread out the cod on the flakes