Poem of the Day
Sara, inspired by Leslee's poem Deliquesce over at Qarrtsiluni, has started a Poem a Day blog based on the word of the day. Check out the responses to today's word conurbation. Here's my contribution, also posted in Poem a Day's comments:
The Old Stagecoach Route
Even when it's slanted and subtle, the light is simple and direct in this country.
The single-track road rounds the hills like a coiling, abandoned ribbon.
In the swale, seven dusty fruit trees have begun to drop their gifts.
The nearby foundation, stripped to its essence on the sunlit slope above,
Is home now to snakes. We know we'll find water nearby.
Reaching the top of the ridge, we stop for cheese, apple
Slices and a sip from the bottle and grin
At the saucy conurbation of crows in the snag
Across the draw, calling their cross challenges
To those who come too close.
The dog, who relentlessly hunts helicopters and magpies,
Stays close, knows this sauciness can easily cross
Into menace. And who wouldn't
Defend their own roost?
We turn down the slope, back toward town,
Packs laden with defenseless apples and plums for sauce,
Consciences almost clear.
The Old Stagecoach Route
Even when it's slanted and subtle, the light is simple and direct in this country.
The single-track road rounds the hills like a coiling, abandoned ribbon.
In the swale, seven dusty fruit trees have begun to drop their gifts.
The nearby foundation, stripped to its essence on the sunlit slope above,
Is home now to snakes. We know we'll find water nearby.
Reaching the top of the ridge, we stop for cheese, apple
Slices and a sip from the bottle and grin
At the saucy conurbation of crows in the snag
Across the draw, calling their cross challenges
To those who come too close.
The dog, who relentlessly hunts helicopters and magpies,
Stays close, knows this sauciness can easily cross
Into menace. And who wouldn't
Defend their own roost?
We turn down the slope, back toward town,
Packs laden with defenseless apples and plums for sauce,
Consciences almost clear.
posted by MB at 12:29 PM
2 Comments:
I'm fairly certain I have never seen the word "conurbation" before. Sounds kinda naughty to me. :-) I'm impressed you could write a poem with it.
Amy! Your message made me laugh: I had exactly the same reaction to the word!
I'm viewing all this as exercise, though. Must be done. Otherwise I tend to want to save myself for the best poems and as we all know that doesn't work very well. What was it Greg Brown said? Something about having to get all the scum off the top of the bucket to get to the good stuff. Yeah, like that.
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