|
silent witness
by Peter Humphreysacross the field
down the lane
fuschia and honeysuckle framed
you rest
exhausted by generations
grown from seed and egg
long flown
beyond the rainbow
arching 'fore
the mountain's ridge
of gorse, rock, elders,
heather, crags
before you
ice came and went
leaving
huge sleeping beasts of stone
in our fields
standing in your rooms now
where generations born
give way to lambs
and beetle busy turf
stacked for winter warmth
I wonder if you could
would you ask me
if it was all worth it
and what would I say? 06/19/2008
Author's Note: As a young man, the West of Ireland was full of deserted cottages, of abandonment. People long gone to America or Britain. Not so now. This 'abandoned' cottage I came across last week in Drumsheen, Co Mayo. It had a presence.
Posted on 06/19/2008
Copyright © 2024 Peter Humphreys
| Member Comments on this Poem |
| Posted by Gabriel Ricard on 06/19/08 at 02:09 PM Geez. I bet. Wonderful work, sir. Just terrific. |
| Posted by Michelle Angelini on 06/19/08 at 02:45 PM The first thought that came to me was this poem reminded me of the movie, "The Secret of Roan Inish." There's a mysterious, but gentle beauty here that puts such a vivid picture in my mind of these "huge sleeping beasts of stone" resting in the Irish landscape. You make Ireland come alive for me Peter. |
| Posted by George Hoerner on 06/19/08 at 05:57 PM Again well done Peter! I suspect that all these old places have a prescence. Just think of how the old castle wslls would talk if we would only listen. |
|
