so, to "choose one object in nature" and focus on it, i chose my grandfather, which may seem odd, but to me my grandfather will always be a permanent element of nature.
a nebraska man in a nebraska-land
mending his fences
boots and bib overalls
how carefully he wove his rows
turned the earth with his thick fingers
ripe black dirt, the smell of it
the taste of it, all of it
nebraska
the wide-rim sky
was his hat, he wore it like a daydream
and the canopy of alfalfa and wheat
rolling in the wind
his winter coat, his face
both sunburnt and frostbitten
and i’m not sure which came first
the man or the land
i can’t separate the two
In any of my memories
of nebraska
is this the creation of his imagination?
or perhaps
these things image him
he stands among them
as pheasant run between his feet
a transcendental wind
blowing the world around
whistle and cymbal
thru the cornstalks and sunflower
waving their feather petals
gold and green
posted for poets and storytellers united
Our every day holds so much poetry, we need to write it down!
ReplyDeletethank you vandana!
DeleteWhat a beautiful scene you paint....just lovely !
ReplyDeletethank you rallentanda, glad you liked.
DeleteA deep sense of place, and of someone who has come to be part of it, through grace or hard labor, til the two are almost indistinguishable--very well drawn images here, and some great lines. I especially like the entire stanza that includes this one: "...he wore it like a daydream.." Vivid, in almost a surreal way. Really a pleasure to read this morning, Phillip.
ReplyDeletethanks joy, i really appreciate that, so glad you liked this.
DeleteWhile all human beings are part of nature for sure, your grandfather definitely sounds elemental! What a wonderful portrait! And incidentally a strong portrait of Nebraska too (which I am never likely to become acquainted with any other way).
ReplyDeletethank you rosemary, glad you liked this.
DeleteAn exquisite write … your grandfather sounds much like mine ( Illinois version) …
ReplyDeletethat you helen, i appreciate that
DeleteI have to agree after reading your piece. You've definitely conveyed the feeling of your grandfather being inseparable from the land he lived and worked on.
ReplyDeletethanks rommy, glad you liked
DeleteI loved this, Phillip, it reminded me very much of my grandfather. He owned our farm, his, and another uncle's. Of course I was his favorite grandchild. He kissed us all, rubbing chewing tobacco juice all over our faces. I went with many a ride with him also. The poem was also my Dad, he disked under a few rows that I had planted crooked and didn't let me plant anymore.
ReplyDeleteWere/are you living in Nebraska? I was born on the farm and grew up there. We lived about 40 driving miles north of Omaha, our P.O. was Herman, north of Blair.
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thanks jim. and no, i was born and raised here in colorado, both of my parents are from nebraska, both raised on farms, my father from stanford (near beaver city) and my mother from cambridge (near mccook). when i was a kid i spent many summers hanging out with my grandpa on the farm, driving trackers and mending fences and even punching cattle. to me its was work, it was just hanging with my grandpa. so glad you liked this jim.
DeleteIncredible imagery:
ReplyDelete“the wide-rim sky
was his hat, he wore it like a daydream
and the canopy of alfalfa and wheat
rolling in the wind
his winter coat”
One of my favorite songs has the name Nebraska Jones in it. :)
thank you peppermint, so glad you liked. i will look up nebraska jones and see what song that is.
Delete“Settle Down,” Kimbra
Deletethat you azka, glad you enjoyed this
ReplyDeleteI love that your grandfather became one with the land. And even more that you noticed it and valued it. I feel the same about my grandmother.
ReplyDelete