Pacific Coast Highway south of Bellingham, 1920s

This segment of roadway winding along
cliffs–now called Chuckanut Drive–
was built by prisoners in the 1920s.
It wasn’t easy time–dangers balanced
on a knife edge daily: men blasting
& carving a narrow shelf into cliffside
living rock, & working below boulders
in the scree of old rockfalls.
With fresh air & an expansive view over
water so far below to islands
& the western sky, & the sight
of eagles rising on thermals,
a man might feel unshackled,
might have the sense of flight,
of being free again.

Andrew Shattuck McBride

**

“Pacific Coast Highway south of Bellingham, 1920s” is my August 27th poem for the 2012 postcard poetry project. I used an antique card view of “Sunset on Chuckanut Drive” and mailed it to Sue of Mobile, Alabama.

Blessings to Sue and all, Andy