Panning For Gold On The Fortymile Poem by Michael Pruchnicki

I spent a summer panning for gold
on the Fortymile River at Tom's place
not far from Chicken
in Alaska

I remember the sunny days
and the hours scratching
in the cold river

The dark waters yielded
little but chicken-feed
specks of ore

separated from river sand
by centrifugal machines
powered by gas

chitty chitty bang bang
and a handful of bright
stuff I culled

I still got a coffee can
of river sand and chicken-feed
downstairs in a tool chest