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Sunday, March 18, 2012

Just a Fence

 This, my latest poem, is inspired by a gorgeous photo by a very talented and very dear friend, Shanyn Silinski, linked to Toads for their prompt this week.  The photo is after the poem (you will see why when you read it).  So, I hope you enjoy and then please skip back to Toads for some more great poems inspired by more of Shanyn's incredible photography.

I have also decided to link this to dVerse ONL this week - because this is quite different from my usual style and I would really appreciate some constructive feedback.  Thank you, fellow poets at dVerse! 

Just a fence

It’s just an old fence
Once straight posts
Leaning under the weight
Of time’s cold shoulder

Weeds straggling through
Carelessly
Unhurriedly
Knowing that eventually
They’ll smother
Once-taut wires

Does anyone see it?
Who cares as it rusts and loosens?
Do the cows thank it?

It encircles them tirelessly
Guarding them gently
From unnamed terrors in
Darkened forest paths
Sure, it has its uses,
But isn’t it ugly?
No.  Not at all.
Catch the Light
Gleaming on its faithful tresses
And its quiet beauty will ease your tired eyes
Its peace will speak comfort to your heart.

Poem Copyright Zoe Beringer



Photo Copyright Shanyn Silinski 

23 comments:

Mystic_Mom said...

Zoe - oh my dear friend you have given a fence, a humble farm fence, such a poetic tribute. I love this! I think it is brilliant!

Mystic_Mom said...

Zoe - one day I want to come and visit you and photograph your world...!

Marian said...

very pretty :)

Maude Lynn said...

"Catch the Light
Gleaming on its faithful tresses"

That is so lovely!

Sherry Blue Sky said...

Very nice...I especially like the two closing lines:)

Fireblossom said...

I love the whole sequence about the cows, and especially the charming ending.

said...

Love this:
"Leaning under the weight
Of time’s cold shoulder"

rosemarymint.wordpress.com

Kay L. Davies said...

I'm sure that, at some level, the cows do thank it.
I loved the light reflected on the fence wire, too. It's so beautiful.
Your poem has certainly given life to this fence.
K

Mary said...

Your words written in response to this photograph are bautiful...

Laurie Kolp said...

Really beautiful... especially the last four lines.

http://lkharris-kolp.blogspot.com/2012/03/haiku.html

Margaret said...

Leaning under the weight
Of time’s cold shoulder

just love that!

And I love that it ends peacefully.

Audrey Howitt aka Divalounger said...

What a lovely write!

Pat Hatt said...

Very nice and I'm sure the cows give it thanks every once in a while.

Brian Miller said...

smiles you have brought the fence to life and given it meaning and purpose...i think some fences are very nice actually...not big on ones between the neighbors though...smiles.

Victoria said...

Fences lend themselves to so well to poetic metaphors and what a lovely poem this photo led you to write. Shanyn's photography is gorgeous.

Semaphore said...

I'm quite a believer in ekphrasis - and this is an inventive interpretation of the photograph.

Claudia said...

there def. is some comfort in fences but we need to discover it...mostly they only seem to fence us in when we would rather go and discover these forests...not considering how dark they can get...i like

Jannie Funster said...

Lovely where your mind went with this.

I like the weight of time's shoulder pressing.

Fences are beautiful! The way the wood greys.

Marbles in My Pocket said...

You do the photo and the fence great tribute with your wonderful words. A very enjoyable write!
http://charleslmashburn.wordpress.com/2012/03/20/a-promis-comes/

Scarlet said...

I like the capture of the fence ~

My favorite lines are:

Catch the Light
Gleaming on its faithful tresses
And its quiet beauty will ease your tired eyes
Its peace will speak comfort to your heart.

Drewiejv said...

Zoe - one day I want to come and visit you and photograph your world...!

Zoe said...

You would be most welcome to visit, but this photo was taken on the other side of the world from me!

Zoe said...

You would be most welcome to visit, but this photo was taken on the other side of the world from me!