Another poem---"

[darkshadow]

S

SPELLBOUND.

SHAGGY SHETLANDS CLEAVE TOGETHER,

THICK, CARPET RUMPS HELD TO THE WIND,

STURDY BEASTS WITH PATIENT EYES

OF CHOCOLATE BROWN.

A HAZY, PASTEL RAINBOW ARCS

ACROSS THE VISION, MERGING INTO

SLATEY CLOUDS OF SILENT MENACE

WHICH RULE THE SKY.

NOW SLEET IS SLICING DOWN TO EARTH;

IT STRIKES THE GLASS WITH FORCE AND STARTLES

BUT MELTS ONCE MORE IN SUNSHINE,

TEPID, PALE.

FOUR WHEELS BUMP AND GRIND ACROSS

ALARMING CAUSEWAY OF HEWN STONE,

ROCKY, ISOLATED PATHWAY

TO MEDITATION.

CHOPPY, FROTH-TOPPED, DANCING WAVES

JIG AND SWIRL TO MUSIC MUTE;

THEY FUSE AND PART, ARE EVER FAITHFUL

TO NATURE’S TUNE.

IN MIDDLE DISTANCE, THERE APPEARS

A LEAFY COPSE OF EVERGREENS,

A HAVEN FOR THE FEATHERED HARBINGERS

OF PROMISED SPRING.

REMOTE HORIZON OF YOUTHFUL DAYS-

CAREFREE DAYS OF HOPE AND LOVE-

IS BROKEN BY A SHEER CLIFF FACE,

MAJESTIC, HIGH.

A SOLITARY GULL DRIFTS BY,

GREY AND WHITE LIKE SEA BENEATH;

IT FLOATS, IT RISES, FALLS AT WILL,

SURVIVES ALONE.

IT HOLDS A SPECIAL FASCINATION,

SYMBOL OF POWER TO OVERCOME

THE VAGRANT WIND, THE STORMY SEA,

FOCUSED, ALOOF.

THE WATCHER SOON FEELS HESITATION

TO ENCROACH ON NATURE MORE,

BUT NO SUCH RETICENCE OBSTRUCT

THE NEXT INTRUDER.

THE DRONING OF A HELICOPTER

BURSTS UPON THE ANCIENT SCENE,

PERSISTENT IN ITS WHIRLING FLIGHTS

ACROSS THE SKY.

THEN STRANGERS IN A RED-BOX CAR

CREEP ALONG THE RUGGED ROAD,

AND, AS THEY PASS, THEY SMILE AND WAVE

BUT DO NOT STAY.

CROFTS LIE DOTTED ROUND ABOUT,

COSY FAMILIES LODGED WITHIN;

SHEEP AND CATTLE CROP THE GRASS,

LUSCIOUS AND GREEN.

THEY EAT THEIR FILL, ARE UNAWARE;

HAPPILY, THEY CANNOT KNOW

THAT THEY ARE NURTURED FOR THEIR GIFTS

OF FLESH OR FLEECE.

AND SO THE SPELL IS BROKEN NOW;

THE MAGIC OF THE HOUR HAS PASSED,

THE SCENE DISSOLVES, THE WATCHER LEAVES

FOR MAN-MADE HOME.

NECESSITY, CONDITIONING

DRIVE THE WHEELS INLAND AGAIN,

BUT MEMORY HOLDS, FAST AND SURE, THE TIME

SPENT BY THE BAY.

[Stilltrying_]

You have an amazing gift with words darkshadow. Thank you x

Also, just a suggestion. I think your poems are wonderful and very deep and expressive. I think also that they would read better if written in lower case. It is a shame as they lose their meaning a little when written in upper case. Could you maybe try doing this and see what you think? (have had a little go below myself just so I can read it better. Will delete if you request) (Have done with your other poems for myself too just so I can read them better as i want to keep them; they are so beautiful and expressive; can do it on here as well if you want; just ask. They are amazing )

Thanks once again,

PS I've followed your posts. I'm an older person too ( though I'm a youngster at 60) I find we have more patience than the young ones and tend to hang around for longer.

I hope you are as well as you can be today.

xx

[Stilltrying_ in reply to Stilltrying_]

Spellbound

shaggy shetlands cleave together,

thick, carpet rumps held to the wind,

sturdy beasts with patient eyes

of chocolate brown.

a hazy, pastel rainbow arcs

across the vision, merging into

slatey clouds of silent menace

which rule the sky.

now sleet is slicing down to earth;

it strikes the glass with force and startles

but melts once more in sunshine,

tepid, pale.

four wheels bump and grind across

alarming causeway of hewn stone,

rocky, isolated pathway

to meditation.

choppy, froth-topped, dancing waves

jig and swirl to music mute;

they fuse and part, are ever faithful

to nature’s tune.

in middle distance, there appears

a leafy copse of evergreens,

a haven for the feathered harbingers

of promised spring.

remote horizon of youthful days-

carefree days of hope and love-

is broken by a sheer cliff face,

majestic, high.

a solitary gull drifts by,

grey and white like sea beneath;

it floats, it rises, falls at will,

survives alone.

it holds a special fascination,

symbol of power to overcome

the vagrant wind, the stormy sea,

focused, aloof.

the watcher soon feels hesitation

to encroach on nature more,

but no such reticence obstruct

the next intruder.

the droning of a helicopter

bursts upon the ancient scene,

persistent in its whirling flights

across the sky.

then strangers in a red-box car

creep along the rugged road,

and, as they pass, they smile and wave

but do not stay.

crofts lie dotted round about,

cosy families lodged within;

sheep and cattle crop the grass,

luscious and green.

they eat their fill, are unaware;

happily, they cannot know

that they are nurtured for their gifts

of flesh or fleece.

and so the spell is broken now;

the magic of the hour has passed,

the scene dissolves, the watcher leaves

for man-made home.

necessity, conditioning

drive the wheels inland again,

but memory holds, fast and sure, the time

spent by the bay.

"Beautiful, Darkshadow". xxxx

[darkshadow in reply to Stilltrying_]

I thank you so much for altering my poem to lower case . You would be doing me a great favour if you would do the same for any others that you come across. Also you may notice that the poem,"Against the Tide" has been written one and a half times by mistake. I don't know how to remove the part that should not be there.My poem, "The Voyage" is posted somewhere else but I don't know where. It would be my dream to have them all posted together in one section of the site. I have never published any of them as the process is expensive and too difficult for me.There is one more here. I think it is called "The Basket" but I'm not sure. I'm not very good with computers.

[Stilltrying_ in reply to darkshadow]

Will reply later darkshadow. I think it's very possible they could be put on part of the site if you ask admin. I can help with all of this. x Off out now but will have a look later. x

[Stilltrying_ in reply to darkshadow]

Darkshadow, I have reposted your poems up on the forum. It is a real shame they have never been published but I hope seeing them on here gives you a lift. You of all people deserve one. Reading your past posts I can see that life hasn't exactly been plain sailing for you but I am sending my love and my appreciation of your undisputable gift as a poet. Gemma x

PS "The Basket" ; I could not find; I don't think you have posted it on this forum as I looked through all your past posts and I couldn't find it but if you find it and you'd like me to edit it just post it up and I'll do a little messing about with the line spacing and put in lower case etc. xx

[darkshadow in reply to Stilltrying_]

OK. Here it is---

The Basket.

She sat in the sultry heat

Of every weary day

Clasping the yellow straw

For this was the only way

She’d find the means to live

To feed her hungry child

To keep him from the cold

From winter’s ruthless wiles

Her wounded fingers bled

As she plied her humble trade

Weaving back and forth

Too tired to be afraid

It was seldom she took a rest

Or lifted her weary eyes

Intent on her day’s long task

And the sound of her baby’s cries

At last it was twilight time

Her desperate chore complete

She sighed and dragged herself

On to her earth-stained feet

Grit stung in her bloodshot eyes

But she heeded not the pain

As she reached her humble home

For her baby would eat again.

Written after seeing a pitiful news item on the slums of Calcutta.

[Stilltrying_ in reply to darkshadow]

That is incredible darkshadow. I really mean that. Gemma (and you've done the line spacing and lower case too; getting to grips with the computer !)

I did a course at college as I'm too old to have been brought up with computers (I'm 60) I found that helped and was an interesting thing to do too. Though I must admit I live in a big city where there's lots of colleges and you're out in the Orkneys . I LOVE your poems xxx

[darkshadow in reply to Stilltrying_]

Good night and enjoy some peaceful, dreamy hours till morning comes.xx.

[Stilltrying_ in reply to darkshadow]

Good night Darkshadow x