Monday, July 20, 2009
As the Crow Flies
I hail a passing crow,
count fare for
two tickets.
"Three thousand,
two hundred
and two miles west
as the crow flies,
if you please."
The feathered one
points a wondering wing
at Spouse and I,
at our belongings
which sleep snugly
on our backs.
"Just the one way?"
Our pilot is curious.
His beak gleams-
in it I see reflected
our journey faces,
our adventure faces,
long shut away
to gather quiet dust.
The bird
surmises his passengers,
shuffles his feet,
fluffs his coat of black.
"We're wanderers,"
explains Spouse.
"It's hard to keep still
in an enormous world."
"I see," nods our crow.
"Pastures greener,
and all that."
Spouse and I
scramble aboard
the obliging crow's back.
Up, up.
The fields and fences,
the twisted roads
that led to friends,
all evaporate underwing.
A fragment of history
-ours, brief-
we carry with us
only the best parts;
the rest falls away
as it should,
as the crow flies.
-TheElementary
Note:
I'll be writing only occasionally over the next couple of weeks as Spouse and I try to get organised and make our way to California.
I intend to be back on track and on regular writing schedule by the middle of August, with a fresh batch of Crumbs From the West - I mean Corner.
Stay tuned for more woolgathering!
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15 comments:
That is intriguing--dare I call it enigmatic? I like the imagery, but wonder if I have missed something significant--
Sorry about the confusion with posting a comment--I noticed a spelling error and couldn't retrieve my comment to correct it.
Very good "Theele", the muse has been loosed. I really like it. Your life experiences are wonderfully told in prose and poetry. I don't think your teachers damaged you severely
during your formative years. If they did you made a very nice recovery. Tell Spouse and Mater I send greetings. Pappy
Morning's Minion,
well, it could have just been a poem, but you are right, there is more. We're moving to California in a couple of weeks :)
Texican, thanks- I hope so! I'd hate to think I lost something in my school years. Theele's muse is very, very distracted these days but tries hard in the midst of changes.
A careful reading this morning shows me more clues than I picked up last evening. I expect that I read first for the shape of phrases, the colors of words; information is secondary. I enjoy what I would call a wry whimsy in much of your writing. You provide glimpses which set my imagination working.
Morning's Minion,
I like that- "shape of phrases, the colors of words"- what a great turn of phrase.
I tried to write something beyond the fleeting nature of 'news', hopefully something that would be interesting to read and pick apart- and you did just that. Especially when it comes to my poems, I like to hear the opinions of others. And if something can be read more than one way, then all the better.
Such a long way for the crow to fly. I didn't pick up that you were moving but the whole piece spoke of adventure!
Pauline,
adventure is what it is. We're really excited. I'll have a new perspective and lots to write about once I get settled. It's home to us, but still very thrilling.
Happy travels. I really enjoyed the poem - I found it very visual.
I loved the poem also. Good luck with your move and I can't wait to get some more"crumbs" from your coner out West!
Delena
As I wrote my blog post last night [early this morning, really] I thought of your crow flight and imagined that a huge and willing bird might be just as reliable as the struggling air service out of Wyoming.
I hope you have a great time in California. Breaks like that are necessary & can be wonderful.
I've been in such a tizzy lately and then it dawned on me that you're MOVING any day now and I'll will finally get to meet you.
Oh, I'm just over the moon about that. Seriously! Good luck with the move and I'll give you a big hug very very soon!
xo
Julie
have a wonderful time
"It's hard to keep still
in an enormous world."
Courtney, thanks! Especially for the poems, I need feedback :)
Del, Nearly there! The crumbs are in the factory right now ;) Coming soon.
Morning's Minion, how funny- I think you're right. It can be said for most airlines these days. But at least on this occasion our flight was painless, and left and arrived on time- for me, a first for domestic travel in this country.
Paul, well, it's a rather long break- not coming back ;) but it will certainly be good for us.
Tangobaby, any day now ;) we'll meet. I'm your neighbour after all! Well, nearly...
Hele, thanks for quoting my (and Spouse's) favourite line. I don't think it's the first time you've done that, either...
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