Friday, April 22, 2011

Behind the Barn (For Poets Rally Week #42)

Sky blue flies
  a kite
    of gold
Sparrows sing
  of lilac
    bloom
Sons smell leather
  tossed
    in glee
Old bike rusts behind the barn

Wrinkled hands
  work soft
    a broom
Puppies yelp
  inside
    a box
Bumble bees bounce
  roses
    pink
Old bike rusts behind the barn

Awake
Awake
My Schwinn of old
Arise
Arise
And pedal bold
You can
You can
Shake off the mold
Awake
Arise
You can’t be old

Lonely leaf
  waves bye
    to green
Daylight shrinks
  in evening’s
    yawn
Windows close
  to battle
    chill
Old bike rusts behind the barn

Scarecrows pout
  out on the
    farm
Sweaters
  grow down
    children’s arms
Sons move south
  on beaches
    warm
Old bike rusts behind the barn

Awake
Awake
My Schwinn of old
Arise
Arise
And pedal bold
You can
You can
It’s not too cold
Awake
Arise
You can’t die old

Blankets white
  lie still
    in sleep
Barren trees
  no nests
    to keep
Echoed boys
  sleigh down
    hills deep
Old bike rusts behind the barn

Calendars thin
  one page
    left
Sons send gifts
  quietly
    wrapped
Silent Night hummed
  damp eyes
    close
Old bike rusts behind the barn

Awake
Awake
My Schwinn of old
Arise
Arise
And pedal bold
You can
You can
Shake off the cold
Awake
Arise
You can’t die old

Sky blue flies
  a kite
    of gray
Robins sigh
  a song
    of bloom
Sons travel home
  dressed
    in black
Old bike’s gone behind the barn

Wrinkled hands
  clasped stiff
    on breast
Church suit
  starched
    inside pine box
Pink blooms
  wilt
    in watered vase
Old bike’s gone behind the barn

Awake
Awake
My Schwinn of old
Arise
Arise
And pedal bold
You can
You can
In Heaven’s fold
Awake
Arise
You won’t be old

11 comments:

Tashtoo said...

Wow! This is fantastic! not to mention the awesome photo as well. I think I have indeed awakened! Truly enjoyed the visit, and will certainly return! Happy Easter ~ N

Hyde Park Poetry Palace said...

lovely calling,
well done.

share your work with poets rally today.
:)

Vinay Leo R. said...

beautiful, awakening poetry :) and a gorgeous image too.

My Post Is Here

Anonymous said...

I am awakened with each line. lovely :)

The Reason You Come said...

I love how this flows! Each line is captivating!

Peggy Nolan said...

Absolutely love this. This reminds me of a Jim Croce song...the refrain...of a life lived.

Anonymous said...

oh man, this is absolutely beautiful! You should be published! I'm honored that you visited my blog

Unknown said...

Absolutely fabulous. The flow is perfect, the seasons of life rolled out with ideal imagery. The repetition applies emphasis at just the right time and place, then evolves as does the character. This is one of the best pieces I've read in a very long time. I will now subscribe to your RSS feed!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for your feedback on my rally entry--and for sharing this piece. The images you paint put us right in your picture. With the repetition, I could see this poem working as lyrics. I'm going to have to take a prowl to check out some of your other photos; fabulous work.

morganna said...

Sweet poem. I especially like the repetition of the refrain and last line of each stanza.

RG Pyper said...

So beautiful!

Maybe I'm slow, but the way this poem unfolded for me was just perfect. Not understanding at first that it was about life/time/age, I was deeply moved when I reached the last few stanzas. Basically, I was just reading along, enjoying the flow of the words, when whoosh! I was suddenly swept up in sweet epiphany. We grow old. We die. It's okay.

I'm Just a Man (Recording Experiment ... I can't sing)

I am in the mood to change my tree to a cubic version.