Crossroads

Our grand farmhouse stands at the crossroads of town that is no more. Only stone buildings remain – us and the old hall. The family that built the house were immigrants seeking freedom from religious troubles and the whims of petty kings in Central Europe. They brought with them new notions of faith and built things to last.

Clearing the Bridal Creeper from the Honeysuckle hedge one year, we came across an old beer bottle placed “just so” at its base.  It put me in mind of a placation, to spirits or old household gods because even new faith carries old baggage.

dancehall tunes

shadows drink at the light’s edge

The mayor, a descendant, laughed and told us of the old bylaw that said alcohol couldn’t be taken within 200 yards of the hall.

The Old Hall

Comments:

First published in Poetry and Place Anthology 2015

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Limestone Ruins

Originally published online as part of the 2015 Post it Note Poetry festival, it was later published in the Stars Like Sand Poetry Anthology and in my first poetry collection Magpie Tales.

limestone ruins

seasoning the hillside

pepper trees

 Composition notes:

I have been revisiting some Haiku writing techniques both to reinvigorate my Haiku writing but also to help focus on singular elements/imagery for larger poems.  In today’s poem I particularly like the way in which the poem can be read forward or in reverse.  I leave it open to the reader as to what is peppering the hillside.

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Watersong

Thanks for reading.

First published in 50 Haikus Issue 5, Volume 1 – (circa July 2014)

 

midday heat
the water song
of magpies

 

Composition notes: 

The impetus for this poem comes from the flocks of magpies that come and sit under our veranda in the summer heat and drink the water we leave for them. They have a beautiful bird call which I decided was their water song.

 

Thanks to Ashley Capes for comments and suggestions.

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