Thursday, August 19, 2010

Poems

Changed
You see, he said,
I stood on that bend
the river sliding by.
And it's so quiet
and calming
that I feel lighter
in spirit
and in frame.

It feels like it's all new
there, only for me.
But accepts me as me
as it does for everyone.

The reflection
on the water
makes a kind of hall
Where I stand, he said
stopped in wonder
at what is happening.
And this is not like him,
this wondering
is something new.

Clearing Out Trees
There had been a storm
and two great trees had been split.
So they were felled and sectioned up
and left beside the path.
Now I walked past straight after getting
that letter no worker wants to get.
But the scene stopped and held me.
Rain  had driven the fellers off
so all was still, tools in place
but no movement.
I saw the sectioned trunk
 recorder of the past, now
a massive square log
So impotent.
Off to one side some domes
of red showed fungi
at their eternal task.
With my own sense of being cut
and left beside the path.
I could not walk past and watched
uncomprehendingly
in the winter rain.

12 comments:

Smut Clyde said...

Relevant artwork.

Jennifer said...

Thanks AK. Beautiful as usual.

Hamish Mack said...

Smut, that is perfect
Thanks Jennifer, The second one is absolutely true, I could not walk away from it. And one loses one job but it's not like with a tree cut down for me, it's not nice but it's not like I'm getting turned into mulch as far as I know. I think the smart bit of my brain was saying "hey hey look at that!" and the walking around bit was saying "What? it's a tree"

Jennifer said...

but it's not like I'm getting turned into mulch as far as I know.

:)

Smut Clyde said...

Possibly more useful link to relevant artwork.

The painting seems to be titled "Oil on Board".

Hamish Mack said...

Early oil tankers were much smaller than todays ones but why they would come down the Whanganui is a bit beyond me. Did you ever see Bob Kerr's "After the war"? It is a very good book, even when the father dies.It is a bit sad for us oldies in general

ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®© said...

It is a bit sad for us oldies in general.

Who are gradually being turned into mulch...

P.S. I didn't get a letter at the prior job *sniff*
~

Smut Clyde said...

Did you ever see Bob Kerr's "After the war"?

I have not, but the Doktorling borrowed his "Terry & the Gunrunners" from the school library once so we are familiar with his work.

mikey said...

All of which makes me recall and strongly recommend Joseph Hayes' "Like any other Fugitive".

If for no other reason than an important lesson on naming one's car...

zombie rotten mcdonald said...

y car is named Red Menace....

mikey said...

You drive a Moskvitch, Zombie?

Now that's cool...

Unknown said...

Lovin' the river, lovin' the poem.