Bumpy road ahead
A sign warns drivers of a bump ahead along the New Road in Penobscot. Photo by Sue Shaw.
March 3, 2026
By Sue Shaw
The Road to Spring
When the road is like a washboard,
And the ell door just won't close…
When the back wall of the woodshed
Very plainly shows...
That’s when this thought comes leaping
Into every Downeast mind...
When D.O.T. hangs signs of "BUMP",
Can spring be far behind?
—Shaw is a poet who lives in Penobscot.
The Rising Tide welcomes poems and other artistic endeavors from our community, and showcases them here in our “Create” section. If you have something you’d like to submit—a poem, a picture of a painting, a photograph, a music recording—send it to info@risingtide.media. We’d love to publish it and give you an audience for your creativity.

