|
Morning Chores
Wiping sleep from tired morning eyes,
he opens the frost-painted door
into the still-dark morning.
His warm breath crystallizes
into cold December air,
hanging there briefly
before dissolving into wisps
adrift in the wind.
The faithful farm dogs
lift their heads in greeting
and leave their cozy spots
inside the shed
to accompany his daily walk to the barn.
The crunch of snow and gravel underfoot
is the only sound that cuts through
the pre-dawn silence
except for the occasional bellow
of a Holstein in the pasture, anxious
for her milking. The slowly climbing sun
gains momentum as it clears the hills,
and then the trees, flooding
gray sky with shades
of pink and orange. The metal barn roof
becomes a mirror, reflecting
its hues throughout the farm,
and everything is unfolded,
announcing the day.
|
Marcus Millsap: School Day Afternoon
by Dave Etter
I climb the steps of the yellow school bus,
move to a seat in back, and we're off,
bouncing along the bumpy blacktop.
What am I going to do when I get home?
I'm going to make myself a sugar sandwich
and go outdoors and look at the birds
and the gigantic blue silo
they put up across the road at Motts'.
This weekend we're going to the farm show.
I like roosters and pigs, but farming's no fun.
When I get old enough to do something big,
I'd like to grow orange trees in a greenhouse.
Or maybe I'll drive a school bus
and yell at the kids when I feel mad:
"Shut up back there, you hear me?"
At last, my house, and I grab my science book
and hurry down the steps into the sun.
There's Mr. Mott, staring at his tractor.
He's wearing his DeKalb cap
with the crazy winged ear of corn on it.
He wouldn't wave over here to me
if I was handing out hundred dollar bills.
I'll put brown sugar on my bread this time,
then go lie around by the water pump,
where the grass is very green and soft,
soft as the body of a red-winged blackbird.
Imagine, a blue silo to stare at,
and Mother not coming home till dark!
http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/031.html
|
|
joyride
the sun bounces
off the metallic blue
of the chevy
and the gravel road dust
eats at the green
as we rumble by
glancing at everything
noticing nothing
we rush to live
we look with affection
and acknowledge the day
for what it contains
and what it implies
of simple complications
your beautiful eyes
and my smile
too bright
for the afternoon
|
How to Play Night Baseball
by Jonathan Holden
A pasture is best, freshly
mown so that by the time a grounder's
plowed through all the chewed, spit-out
grass to reach you, the ball
will be bruised with green kisses. Start
in the evening. Come
with a bad sunburn and smelling of chlorine,
water still crackling in your ears.
Play until the ball is khaki --
a moveable piece of the twilight --
the girls' bare arms in the bleachers are pale,
and heat lightning jumps in the west. Play
until you can only see pop-ups,
and routine grounders get lost in
the sweet grass for extra bases.
http://www.jonathanholden.com/poetry.htm
|
|
Run before Dawn
by William Stafford
Most mornings I get away, slip out
the door before light, set forth on the dim, gray
road, letting my feet find a cadence
that softly carries me on. Nobody
is up -- all alone my journey begins.
Some days it's escape: the city is burning
behind me, cars have stalled in their tracks,
and everybody is fleeing like me but some other direction.
My stride is for life, a far place.
Other days it is hunting: maybe some game will cross
my path and my stride will follow for hours, matching
all turns. My breathing has caught the right beat
for endurance; familiar trancelike scenes glide by.
And sometimes it's a dream of motion, streetlights coming
near, passing, shadows that lean before me, lengthened
then fading, and a sound from a tree: a soul, or an owl.
These journeys are quiet. They mark my days with adventure
too precious for anyone else to share, little gems
of darkness, the world going by, and my breath, and the road.
http://poetrydispatch.wordpress.com/tag/william-stafford/
|
|
Comments (Show all 55)
Mia g said
at 11:32 am on May 12, 2015
Joyride gives me the most visual picture of when my dad and I go out on the four wheelers.
Emily J. said
at 11:32 am on May 12, 2015
I can relate to the 1st poem morning chores, Because In the morning have to get up early and do chores and It reminds me a lot of when I do chores in the morning.
Trey D said
at 11:32 am on May 12, 2015
I can relate to "How to Play Baseball at Night" the most because I like playing baseball and I like the smell of freshly cut grass.
Tristen M said
at 11:32 am on May 12, 2015
I can relate best to joy ride because it's about riding in a vehicle and i ride in one everyday.
Katelyn K said
at 11:32 am on May 12, 2015
The school day after school connected to my life I could see a visual picture.
Camille H said
at 11:32 am on May 12, 2015
Morning chores, because I have to do chores almost every morning before I go to school. I have to let out the dogs, feed and water the cat, and dogs. I have to wipe the windows, I have to clean up my cats hairballs, and furballs. I usually don't get a break from cleaning and I have to clean after school too.
Joel G said
at 11:32 am on May 12, 2015
The school bus one because I have to ride the bus everyday, and I live on a bumpy gravel road. Also when I am on the bus I always am hungry and want food.
austin K said
at 11:34 am on May 12, 2015
Joyride because I can imagine a guy in a nice chevy going down the rode to go farming, mudding, or hunting.
Kenny G. said
at 11:34 am on May 12, 2015
Run before dawn gave me the best visual image, because I just like to be outside at night, and compare how the town looks at night to how it looks during the day.
ashia g said
at 11:34 am on May 12, 2015
School day afternoon reminds me of my bus ride going home I like how they describe how he can't wait to go home.
Dylan D said
at 11:34 am on May 12, 2015
I relate to Morning Chores the most because When I get up to do my chores I get the brisk feeling of the air.
Mike B said
at 11:35 am on May 12, 2015
I like joyride because I really feel like it connects with me and I feel like when the sun reflects of the metallic car in shines throughout the grass.
Kendra T said
at 11:39 am on May 12, 2015
I can relate to "How to Play Night Baseball" because I remember going to my sisters late softball games and I can remember all of the lights and the grass stained ball.
devin h said
at 11:39 am on May 12, 2015
ican relate to joy ride because i ride with my dad to work in his mark 7 lincoln
Leinissa T said
at 11:40 am on May 12, 2015
The School Day Afternoon I can get visual picture and that it relates to me because its smiler to me how plan what Im going to do when I go home.
Cassi M said
at 12:59 pm on May 12, 2015
I realte the the Morning Chores, this reminds me of when I get up in the morning sometimes.
Dylan F said
at 12:59 pm on May 12, 2015
The school Day Afternoon I can't wait to get home and see what I can do and i think of it on the bus.
Chase S said
at 12:59 pm on May 12, 2015
I can realate to the night of basketball because I remeber when we had some pretty late games playing 2 games or playing and then have to watch the 8th graders and it got to be pretty late and it stunk if you had homework due the very next day.
Chase S said
at 1:02 pm on May 12, 2015
Wrong one I was looking at something else.
Weller C said
at 1:00 pm on May 12, 2015
Morning Chores is the poem I can best relate to, this poem is exactly what I'v always wanted my mornings to be like, and dreampt they would be like.
Brennan I said
at 1:00 pm on May 12, 2015
I relate the most to morning chores, every morning that I sleep in I have a bunch of chores to do that day, but on day that I get up fairly early there is maybe one chore to do.
Brinna E. said
at 1:01 pm on May 12, 2015
Morning Chores, because The words they use I can get the picture of and the feelings of everything going on.
Charles S said
at 1:01 pm on May 12, 2015
Run Before Dawn. On some days my body decides to wake up right before dawn and I sit by my window and watch the sun rise.
Rebecca F. said
at 1:01 pm on May 12, 2015
I can relate most to joyride because it reminds me of taking long drives with my dad, sister, or brother. It also reminds me of riding around in the ranger with my friends to different parts of our farm.
Chloe Ga said
at 1:02 pm on May 12, 2015
Marcus Millsap: School Day Afternoon gives me the best picture because in a way its similar to what I think on the bus and when I get home
Julie M said
at 1:02 pm on May 12, 2015
School Day Afternoon because i can relate to thinking about what you're going to do when you get home, during the weekend, or when you're older. You can also get a visual picture of the farm they live on.
Seth M said
at 1:03 pm on May 12, 2015
I like "Morning Chores" because I can picture my self going out side to do my chores and seeing my dogs sitting outside on the porch.
Gina G said
at 1:03 pm on May 12, 2015
School Day Afternoon gives me a visual picture in my head because I just picture a kid getting on the bus going all the way to the back and thinking of what he is going to do when he gets home.
Taylor N said
at 1:03 pm on May 12, 2015
I can relate to "Run Before Dawn" because I love to run, especially in the mornings.
Sam W said
at 1:03 pm on May 12, 2015
Joyride, I can picture a blue chevy and gravel road dust and people glancing out looking everywhere.
Chloe Gr said
at 1:04 pm on May 12, 2015
I like school day afternoon because on the bus after school I always think about what I'm going to do when I get home.
Ian M. said
at 1:04 pm on May 12, 2015
I liked joyride the best because it is something I will probably end up doing when I get my drivers license. I'm planning on driving out to a pond to go fishing with my friend or friends or just drive for the simple reason I can.
Ezra S said
at 1:04 pm on May 12, 2015
1. I can best relate to joy ride
2. I relate to that the most because I can remember going on a little trip on the gravel rode and when we pass the fields of grass.
Morganne M said
at 1:04 pm on May 12, 2015
Run before Dawn, because it describes the person's feeling and why they get up so early. I can relate to wanting to escape for a little bit.
Miranda J said
at 1:05 pm on May 12, 2015
I most relate to Joyride, because everyday somehow I am looking out the window of a vehicle, and even though we usually go down the same roads, it still amuses me to stare out the window.
Zander B said
at 1:05 pm on May 12, 2015
How to play night Baseball- I imagine the ball going through the grass-I can relate by backtracking to catch the fly ball and leap back and snow cone the ball
Moises C. said
at 1:06 pm on May 12, 2015
I can imagine joyride because when im older i would like to just enjoy the breeze driving around town and maybe the world
Kaylin K-T said
at 1:54 pm on May 12, 2015
I can relate to "Morning Chores" the most, because I can relate to doing jobs every morning. When I'm at my house, I have to feed the dog, walk the dog, clean my room. When I'm on the farm during the weekends, I have to feed the cats, clean my room, and in the summer, I help pick up rocks.
Hannah V said
at 2:05 pm on May 12, 2015
I can relate to Joy Ride because we take car trips all the time and I usually am looking out the window. This describes that perfectly.
Jade O said
at 3:46 pm on May 18, 2015
Joyride because when we go places in the car and look out the window.
You don't have permission to comment on this page.