Fescue, Wild Onion, Buttercup, & Thyme
Where have you gone, sweet timothy
that used to lay itself low on the old roadside?
And where did you take
the black-eyed susans and their pretty dresses?
The old blue car would have been covered up
by the length of you both along those hedgerows.
We passed by by your eyes many times–
sweet and unseeing what was to come.
We just took the old blue car to the old smoke town,
ground ourselves against each other,
blunt little knives–the dull kin
of threshing men.
He still calls your name, sweet timothy,
black-eyed susan on the old roadside.
Out by the road now, new growth spreads
and someone else calls their name now:
fescue and wild onion, buttercup and thyme.
18 thoughts on "Fescue, Wild Onion, Buttercup, & Thyme"
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“blunt little knives – the dull kin”
Love that so much. It relates for all of us I think.
Thank you, Allen!
blunt little knives–the dull kin
of threshing men. – Yes, love this! Your words hold such an ache to them – something remembered – something lost.
Thanks, Sylvia. I keep wanting to write a happy poem– 😛
Reads like the lyrics to an old bluegrass song. The use of a refrain as a chorus stands out. But that you decide to rest it in a place that is new keeps this refreshing.
Thanks, Jon. I have been inadvertently wanting to write a bluegrass song and maybe this is it somewhere!
I agree with Sylvia. There is so much ache in your words and images.
Thanks, Karen. That seems to be the mood of the month! 😛
It’s a song.
Thanks, Mike–maybe one day I’ll hear the music!
Love this opening:
Where have you gone, sweet timothy
that used to lay itself low on the old roadside?
And where did you take
the black-eyed susans and their pretty dresses?
and
ground ourselves against each other,
blunt little knives
Thank you Pam!
another vote from me for ‘the dull kin
of threshing men.’
the wistful memory-ness of this makes me recall
cormac mccarthy’s ‘the road’
Thanks, Dustin! Big compliment–I love McCarthy!
Another wonderful treat
out of your bag.
This is
natural
lyrical
sensusal
nostalgic
and all the other things
that make up human emotion.
Among other things I love how the title (which is beautiful!) comes back to end the poem.
I love how the memories intertwine with the landscape, GREAT WRITE!
The details and how they build and grow together are gorgeous. I want to point out favorite lines, but that’d be half the poem. Very well done.