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FALSE SPRING

Slowly he walks a wooded trail
his age and old legs forbid haste.
The new leaves colored light and pale
giving the forest a pollen taste.
He walks with company although alone.

Today'd trek covers familiar ground
past ancient trees he's known for years.
His inner voice the only sound
as the end of his long walk nears.
Miles away a freight train moans.

Down hill he goes to a small spring
where he built a dam when just a child.
He listens to the song birds sing
in their way simple and wild.
He spies a stump and rests his bones.

Ghosts of old voices fill his mind,
laughter and shouts from years gone by,
all have left him far behind.
A tear builds yet he doesn't cry.
Instead he picks up then throws stones.

He rests enveloped by warm air
until he spots a doe and fawn
who have no idea that he's there
nor all the ghosts as they pass on.
The dry flies sing their strident tones.

The last time that they sang so loud
one ghost guest was still alive.
Like him he avoided any crowd
preferring sylvan walk or drive
into where wild things are grown.

Both doe and fawn walk out of sight
so he rises up on creaky knees
then turns toward home in slanting light
as evening's cold air tints the breeze.
pushing him from memory's zone.

Style / type: 
Structured: Western
Editing stage: 
Content level: 
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Comments

Oh I needed this walk. It's beautiful & its truly up there with one of my favourites. I've been in hospital for a few days and I'm laying here reading poetry and commenting and I have to say the standard of the recent work here is astonishing. Yours included.

Well done and good luck in the competition!.

Love and hugs Sis xxx

“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.” — W.B. Yeats

Sorry to hear you are in the hospital. Let me know if the doctors piss you off. I'll give them a long distance finger lol. But seriously you get well soon

author comment

I was doing some gardening (I shouldn't have been doing) and I had a fall and ended up having to ring an ambulance. I am truly thankful the Drs and the nursing staff have been wonderful, I couldn't ask for better care they're on top of everything I will need some more surgery but not straight away thankfully but yesh it's a pain in the ass.

Hugs J xxx

“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.” — W.B. Yeats

those slip and falls can really hurt. Right after my first knee replacement I was feeling better so I decided to take a walk through the woods. I was in a grown up field on a hillside. I didn't see any mud including that which was covered by leaves. So down I went. I have no idea how I managed to land on both my butt and knee at the same time but I hit so hard that acorns fell off trees, squirrels started barking and a deer snorted. In a nearby beaver pond the surface rippled from impact waves. BTW I was on the phone when it happened and told my friend I'd just fallen down. He asked if I was OK. I told him as soon as I could get up the nerve I'd try moving my new knee. So I got my butt up and told him I figured I was OK and was going to head back to my truck then on home. We hung up and I limped to the truck and drove home where I took a shower to walk off the mud.Wellll.......unknown to my my buddy called me back while I was in the shower and of course I didn't answer. What did he do? He called up my oldest son and told him I'd fallen in the woods and wasn't answering the phone. So son then left his job and drove over to try and find me. (I was at home). He couldn't find me and went to my house and there I was. Caught hell from my buddy. my son and then Susan and wasn't allowed to leave sight of home for a month lol.I've bored you enough now so maybe you have fallen asleep

author comment

I actually wrote a poem about the fall titled "Impact crater"

author comment

They’re haunting but welcome and unobtrusive, merely a product of the surroundings. It’s a good metaphor for learning from the past not being tortured by it.

Always great imagery and interesting rhyme pattern in your work. I really enjoyed this.

Tim

Yes these ghosts haunt but in a good way. I appreciate your visit

author comment
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