Pathways Into the Mountains
An eco-poet who examines the archtypically Canadian conflict of development and preservation, Ken Belford looks at both sides, delving into the heard of each arcument. Though favouring the preservation side of the argument, it is clear that he understands the reasoning for both arguments.
In some of his poems, Ken feels that his way of life — his continued survival — implicates him in something about which he should feel guilty. The food he eats, the house he dwells in, and the oil that keeps him woarm are all the products of the development that is destroying the natural order.
For Belford, development means sadness, loss, and bitterness. This does not, however, stop him from retaining hope that humanity as a whole can find a way to cherish, and preserve, the beauty that surrounds us.
