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Ratleader

Member Rara Avis

since 2003-01-23

Posts 7026
Visiting Earth on a Guest Pass

0 posted 2004-07-15 02:12 PM

Clearing Channel

They’re hauling out the sand again,
they’ve scraped the river bottom down
to an insult of bare cement.
The lines of gray brown mounds
stretch out of sight in both directions,
grit dry and waiting for the trucks.
Sand rides the floods from fifty miles in
set free by gravity and the destiny of stone:
It breaks the order of things, this hauling.

The world tore rocks for this,
trees gave up their roots to send it down,
yielding to the strife of land and sea.
It almost reached the yellow heaven
of a shore where tourists would have played
the summer, natives walked away a winter chill.
Now they’ll drag it to a landfill somewhere
back inland, dump garbage in until  they’ve made
an artificial hill among the other hills.

I hear trucks; the highloader belches awake.
Give it to me, to me, I need this wayward sand!
But the loader doesn’t hear.

     With new appreciation of an island
     in my own cement river, where violets
     grow in spite of everything.

JL
Member Ascendant

since 2004-04-01

Posts 6128
Texas, USA

1 posted 2004-07-15 02:16 PM

So much construction… maybe too much. Enjoyed.

JL

LeeJ
Member Patricius

since 2003-06-19

Posts 13296

2 posted 2004-07-15 02:28 PM

yes, in much appreciation of our own personal worlds, away from the rest of the noise...another spell binder you've gifted us with today. Thank you

Sunshine

Administrator

Member Empyrean

since 1999-06-25

Posts 63354
Listening to every heart

3 posted 2004-07-15 02:29 PM

I even heard the trucks backing up...
Well done, Sir.

Martie

Moderator

Member Empyrean

since 1999-09-21

Posts 28049
California

4 posted 2004-07-15 02:32 PM

Ed

"an insult of bare cement"

Yes! it's just like that! But when you look, there are bits of magic. Enjoyed this walk with you.

suthern

Member Seraphic

since 1999-07-29

Posts 20723
Louisiana

5 posted 2004-07-15 04:46 PM

I've read this several times... and each time I read it, I want to highlight different lines... to do it justice, I'd have to repeat the entire poem... It is solid and cohesive and flawless. *S*

Your images are superb... the insult of bare cement, sand riding the floods, trees giving up their roots... the highloader belching... The reader is THERE... and doesn't want to leave!!

Absolutely excellent, my friend!!

iliana
Member Patricius

since 2003-12-05

Posts 13434
USA

6 posted 2004-07-15 06:03 PM

"Now they’ll drag it to a landfill somewhere
back inland, dump garbage in until they’ve made
an artificial hill among the other hills."

What a statement!

suthern

Member Seraphic

since 1999-07-29

Posts 20723
Louisiana

7 posted 2004-07-16 01:08 PM

Let's just NOT mention the color of my hair as I return to add this to my library... LOL

We'll attribute my lapse to my appreciation of this great poem... not my innate lacks. *G* Okay? *S*

miscellanea
Member Elite

since 2004-06-24

Posts 4060
OH

8 posted 2004-07-16 04:12 PM

You need the wayward sand,and thinking of a poem I wrote in which you responded, I need the flood! Enjoyed this a lot, as I do all of your work.
misc'e

Corinne
Member Ascendant

since 1999-10-28

Posts 5167
state of confusion

9 posted 2004-07-16 07:25 PM

I hear trucks; the highloader belches awake.
Give it to me, to me, I need this wayward sand!
But the loader doesn’t hear.

I'm with you on this one, Ratleader!

Corinne

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