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THE VINE

A good while back I bought some land
which consisted of a rural hollow
forested by mixed hardwood stand
surrounded by two fields grown fallow.

This hollow housed a clear strong spring
years ago used as a water source
evidenced by a collapsed cistern's ring
which began the branch's course.

And here I built a modest home
on an adjacent overlooking hill
where children would have room to roam
far off the road where woods were still.

From the first time that I saw this land
the plan was to build a small fish pond
to keep fish dinners close to hand
and isolate the copse beyond.

So I set to clearing the pond site
of bushes, trees, briers and such
by hand to keep the impact light
and not disturb the land too much.

I worked my way toward upper end
beneath the warm spring day's sunshine
where branch's course made a slight bend.
I came upon a wild grape vine.

As thick as my thumb or maybe more
anchored high up in a tall oak tree
then hanging straight to the woods floor;
a recollection came to me.

Of when I was just a small child
swinging in woods on just such vine
like some Tarzan running wild.
I thought this vine would do just fine.

So I cut the vine off at the ground
and tested it for tensile strength
then bid my sons to come around
and take a swing upon its length.

Well, they had a bit of fun
arching in a long and slow swing
then they left, I thought them done
so I returned to my working.

A few days passed the way they do
when older son came in with startling news
his brother was swinging, neighbor boy too
both buck naked and in plain view.

By the time we looked, though, both were gone
neither of them were in sight
giving us some time to think upon
how to approach our five year old right.

When he came home we asked him why,
without yelling or harsh berating,
he was swinging nude 'neath the clear sky
he looked and said sans hesitating
"you must have been hallucinating!"

Style / type: 
Structured: Western
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Comments

yes, the kids still laugh about it as do we................stan

author comment

what made us laugh at the time was such a young person even knowing the word hallucinate lol. Thanks for coming by.............stan

author comment

This was a true event from years gone by put to verse. Much easier to write reality I guess lol. Always glad to give friends a smile..............stan

author comment
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