Tuesday, July 1, 2008

The Old Barn

(New England Barn in my Memory; graphite on paper scketch 1997 by Kathie)

Through the doorway
of the old red barn
a memory lingers
in the fragrant bales
stacked to the ceiling,
while below in their
stanchions
the pungent odor of
milk and manure
rises from
black and white
cud-chewing contentment
on the hoof.

~Kathiesbirds (June 30, 2008)

6 comments:

  1. This is lovely. I grew up a farm and its about this time of year when my grandfather would cut the hay, and then after leaving it to dry for a few days, he would hitch our two old work horses to the hay wagon and then the fun would being. Brothers and cousins and I would help make the hay and as the rick got full to the top we would dive into it to survive the drive through the barn doors. I think I wanted to write about my grandfather somehow after having read your beautiful poem on your grandfather's cane. When I was in my teens my parents divorced and we moved from the farm and I seldom saw my grandfather after that. Both of your pieces brought to the surface, fragments of memories of him again.

    Your art work is lovely. I am trying to find courage to post some of mine.

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  2. I have good memories of having spent quite a bit of my childhood in the farms and few lingering memories of the barn too.

    Enjoyed this, thank you.

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  3. Ann, I'm so glad the poem brought back so many good memories for you. My grandfatehr died when I was 13, so I only knew him for a short span of my life. While he was very strict, he was also kind and I do have found memories of him. It is his old cow barn that I am recalling in this poem. I wrote it the same day as the prompt for OSI but I wanted to publish the other one first since it was Nana's birthday. Please do publish your art work. I took a risk inspired by Bookbabie and I'm so glad I did.

    indicaspecies, I'm glad to help you recall happy memories also. I did not live on this farm, but visited it regularly. The illustration is just a compilation of memories and not an actual place.

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  4. You were right Kathie I do like them all. You are a very good poet. I just keep forgetting that you have two separate sites. I'll try and remember from now on. Pappy

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  5. Hey Tex, no pressure! I just thought you would like these 2 poems! I'm glad that you did.

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  6. I´m a city boy, but I can really feel the smell of the farm from that text!

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