several seasons
piled loose layers
of brown needles
to quiet your steps
walking along
this familiar path
through a dense stand
of tall pines
you remember when
they were planted
fifty years now
the decades rushing
through your life
living each season
grateful yet yearning
for last year
racing these trails
running up hills
faster younger
straight and strong
as these solid
trunks of trees
hoping to endure
a few more years
or several seasons
Photo Location: Red Pine Trail, Townsend Park, (Townsend Park) Kent County, Michigan
Rich,
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful verse and poignant message about
growing older.
Your younger sis Shirley!
Beautiful poem, Dad. Quite moving! I, for one, insist that you endure for MANY years to come, not just "several seasons." : ) I'm glad longevity runs in our family.
ReplyDeleteLove you!
Sarah
Love the picture! The light among the trees is intriguing.
ReplyDeleteLove the poem, very enjoyable!
Shirley:
ReplyDeleteGood to see you back, and thanks for your kind words.
Watching Mom gives me appreciation for the aging process, and acceptance for God's gifts we have now.
Rich
Sarah:
ReplyDeleteThanks for your continued encouragement. I appreciate all that I can do now, and in the future. Thanks be to God!
I hope (and plan) to be around to watch your bright future unfold.
Love,
Dad
Christine:
ReplyDeleteIt's all about the light isn't it?
Your photos employ the qualities of light very well.
I enjoyed writing all five revisions of this poem. Thanks for your acknowledgement.
Richard
Hi Richard, Found this to be a very lyrical and uplifting piece of writing, just what I need right now - so thanks very much for that... I will be back more often to check out your new work. With Best Wishes Scott www.scotthastie.com
ReplyDeleteScott:
ReplyDeleteMe, inspiring another Poet? Thank you for your kind words. We do have similar passions and philosophies in how we approach our work. I will continue to follow your site, also.
Grateful for you and your response,
Richard
A run-on sentence or not, I give you permission to do it. Yes, a reminded of some of us getting old!
ReplyDeleteSantiago:
ReplyDeleteOf course this is an intentional, and controlled run-on sentence (poem) in which each line needs the line before it and after it. Yet, it all flows nicely from beginning to end.
There was a lot more work and revision involved than there appears to be in this poem.
I hope you enjoy the several seasons of your life.
Gratefully,
Richard
Rich: run-on sentence? Faulkner would be envious. Aging, grateful, for breathing (I think). Yeah, running up hills is a thing of the past, thus my longing for a return on occasion -- to things that were and are no more. I like the "layers of brown needles to soften your step" -- how about cushion such? The years' worth of pressing and pounding have taken their toll I suspect. So I will revisit the tall and sturdy pines -- "straight and strong...sturdy.." words to live by, and hope! Gloomy Monday, Tom W.
ReplyDeleteTom:
ReplyDeleteThank you for your interesting take on "Several Seasons". It was hard work and required multiple revisions to come up with this run-on poem. Overall, optimism and hope run throughout this piece.
Thanks for your recent visits to WWFN. Please pass it around.
Gratefully,
Rich