How I Came About Owning A Piece Of Alaskan History Poem by Alexandre Nodopaka

I first bought on an online auction house a leather camera holster.
Written on the inside, in blue and black ball pen, is the name and
address of its owner. The following information, through a search,
is derived from the historical article that refers to that name.

Of all the odds in the whole world, the name refers to the
supervisor of a crew of men that built portions of the Alaska
Artic Road. Suddenly I am up to my chattering teeth and eyeballs
in snow and fierce freezing temperatures falling to -85°F.

In parallel, coincidentally, weeks apart, I purchased in the same
manner, from a different source, a camera whose wear spots fit
uncannily but precisely into the mirrored leather spots.
The camera still needs repairs since I bought it at a discount.

The seller listed defects requiring the attention of a professional
craftsman since the lenses have haze, fungi and the metal has
oxidation. Just think what an odd name and a few wear marks
and some hazy fungus can do to the imagination!

I figure the man has passed as his birth year precedes mine by
at least 5 years or more. Yes, the writing is on the leather and is
a hint for I still have a few years left to repair the recording
instrument. I wonder, is a recycled life a life well-lived?