One driver is missing 'A Blessing' along the road to Rochester
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Dec. 3—Dear Answer Man: My husband and I recently stopped by the High Forest Rest Area near Rochester off Interstate 90 to re-read the poem "A Blessing" by James Wright. But only a post remains where the bronze plaque once stood. Can you find out why it was removed or simply what happened? I love that poem, as did Garrison Keillor who guided its installation in 1998 for all to read and enjoy. Thank you for any help you can give in solving this riddle. — Judy Smithson.
Dear Judy,
Well,
poems — missing in whole or in part — have been a major Answer Man topic of discussion lately.
So, I'm glad to add your query to the list.
As always, when it comes to anything related to road construction or maintenance, my first thought is to reach out to MnDOT District 6 spokesman Mike Dougherty, a former PB staffer and all-around great guy.
Being almost as knowledgeable as Answer Man himself, Dougherty knew all about the poem, Garrison Keillor and the fate of the plaque of which you, Dear Judy, write.
So, the rest area, as you know, is located on the eastbound side of Interstate 90 just south of the High Forest Township border. Despite its name, the rest stop is actually located in Pleasant Valley Township, in Mower County.
On Monday, May 11, 1998, Keillor, of Prairie Home Companion fame,
read the poem,
a bit of
verse by poet James Wright that depicts an event he experienced
at the poem's real life setting "Just off the highway to Rochester, Minnesota," where he and fellow poet Robert Bly stopped to look at a pair of ponies. The poem, along with "Lying in a Hammock at William Duffy's Farm in Pine Island, Minnesota," is among his more famous works, and depicts a bucolic scene in the American Midwest in the post-Industrial age.
Checking in with folks in-the-know at MnDOT, Dougherty said the sign was "inadvertently knocked down during maintenance work when crews were trimming and working with trees" within the last year.
"Our facilities people are pursuing a replacement of it. It's taking a little longer than anticipated, but we will likely alert folks once it's up. That will likely be during warmer weather months," Dougherty added.
So, while the sign is temporarily gone, and that rest stop is not likely to see any "Indian ponies" anytime soon, I'm certain we will all "ripple tensely" once the poem is returned to that waypoint for weary travelers.
Your questions are like "A Blessing" for Answer Man. Send them to Answer Man at
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