behind a tractor, on the back road
between cornfields,
beneath the gaze of the mountains,
our long line of cars snakes slow,
shadow of the day fast approaching
and why they do this during rush hour
i'll never know
green grass & cows stare as we pass-
two young calves awkwardly gallop
after each other, playing
within their fences
within their fences
play, making their own shadows
dance in the new dawning day
written for Poetry Jam
Posts
73 comments:
It's nice that you still take the time to notice these things. :)
The morning rush in the country side...I love the image you paint Brian :-)
The advantage of being stuck behind a tractor is that you have the opportunity to see things you wouldn't notice otherwise;-) Frustrating to be held up but good to have time to ponder.
I'm not sure what makes me wonder more...how fences apply to us all, or the play on slowness during rush hour.
I wonder if the cows think you're the one fenced...
Love it and the back roads :-)
While one is stuck in the jam, the calves come out to play, mocking as it were! When faced with problems others rejoice at one's expense! It sometimes does! Nicely Brian!
Hank
and why they do this during rush hour
i'll never know
Oh, yeah. It's a question asked often around here.
made me smile...many cars here but no cows..not bad playing within the fences...gives some security as well.. i feel a bit outside my comfortable fence at the moment..still playing, making my own shadows...smiles..and did i say it already..i love cows, they have beautiful eyes..
At least it allowed you to stop and enjoy the beauty of the day... it's all in perspective, right?
Woke up at 4AM to drive an hour half to get somewhere. Left so early precisely because I wanted to avoid traffic.
Glad I did because killing time at a Denny's and reading this. So appropriate...
I lovecountryside poems! Have a niceday Brian!
Opportunities present at the most unexpected times. Glad you took advantage.
I suppose there is no 'right' time for them to do it that would suit any drivers behind them, really.
It did give you some thinking time though :)
I agree with others, being stuck behind a farm vehicle does give us time to think, or talk, or just watch the view. Hubby is impatient behind others, I say 'relax and enjoy the break'. Wonder why he doesn't listen ... grins.
Just a nice view
That was gained by you
By a slow pokey coming due
They should wait for rush hour to be through
But oh no
They come and get in the way going ever so slow
Thank goodness for the tractors in life, make us slow down and drink in the scenery and relax a notch.
That's God's way of slowing you down for a moment to take in and enjoy His creation. Did it remind you of home in Maryland surrounded by farms.....sometimes it's good to stop and smell the manure. hee hee
Perhaps it is designed by fate to make us slow down and see the wonder around us. A great written snapshot allowing us to see your morning.
Nice. Though we hate traffic jams, they really give us an opportunity to experience stillness, a little at least. It also gives us a glimpse of our power, because though we're slowed down, we can still use that time as we chose - to be angry or to comtemplate the view.
They do it at rush hour so you slow down and enjoy the cows in the fields. :)
Perhaps the farmer is heading home for dinner after his hard day of work as well.
Beautiful, two calves to make you smile on your commute. Lovely golden photo too.
We all live according to a different pace. Sometimes slow and carefree will drive you crazy. Sometimes, it is a frolic in a field.
Wonderful observation....including the shadows. :-)
You do wonder if their fences and our fences just look different.
Great juxtaposition!
The shadows cast during the course of a day are so beautiful!
I like the approach of the shadow of the day image. Neat use of the word from the prompt. The last line indicating that it was the beginning of the day made me go back and reread giving me a different feel from my first read when I assumed it was evening for some reason. Thanks.
Sounds like you take the time to play within your rush hour construction "fence," too. You always seem to find some beauty around you.
=)
You have created such a diverse scenery here ... loved the calf :-)
... that's how it is and hopefully, that's how it always will be, B ... I don't mind sitting on the tractor for hours to get food on somebody's table ... and we do have to use the roads to get us back to our own supper table ... hmmm ...
I love the atmosphere of this poem, the early morning shadows. Such a peaceful setting.
So strangely enough I couldn't remember your exact website so I googled "brian miller" and the first page up was about converting your garden tractor for tractor pulling. I laughed, eventually found your real site, and there was a poem about cows. Peculiar!
(Great read btw).
I want to learn to play like those two little calves, play in the midst of rush hour traffic and even inside fences. Always something to learn :)
It's a daily thing here...the tractors are just part of the landscape, I am so ussed to them I don't even notice the long line of cars, or how slow we are moving...that is until someone from behind me beeps their horn.
cheers mate :)
Not a fan of traffic but I do appreciate how it wakes me up to the constant changes in my environment...e.g "when did that building get there?!" Lol!
It's not bad being behind a tractor if you aren't in any hurry! Then you CAN take time to smell the roses!
I haven't seen calves or cows lately but geese stopping traffic :-) I like the gentle nudge to noticing this side of the fence during rush hours ~
I like the ambiguity here, brian--and there's a certain pathos in the cows playing their brief lives away behind their fences while the humans work or simply wait theirs away, behind their metal ones.
Nice....brings back memories. I was born and grew up in farm country....followed many a tractor...and cattle crossings at traffic time....but life was slower back then.Lighter traffic too...
Isn't rush hour an oxymoron when you live in the country? :)
Having spent much of my adolescence living in farm country, I can see this in my mind.
I wonder what the cows think about the rush hour, about you.
I am within your last three stanzas. Hello Brian, this is oceangirl.
The farmer and the cows are all probably wondering why you're always in such a hurry.
That opening stanza is a clinic in scene setting
Aloha from Honolulu
Comfort Spiral
> < } } ( ° >
> < } } (°>
Oh I love it! And it goes perfectly with that gorgeous photo.
Brian, thank you for always visiting and commenting! I love this, it is funny how the tractors seem to pick morning or afternoon rush hour to drive the roads--enjoyed how you moved the play and fence words around to have slightly different meanings :-)
Chances are the calves are running faster than the cars. Just not as far.
RUSH HOUR: Cows talking..."Why the F'k do all these Peeps drive through here right before milking time? DAMMMM!".
Brian, your blade gets sharper with each day's mostly perfect contributions. (Wonder what "mostly perfect" means?)
I'm coughing because of the dust raised by that darn tractor. Bet all his lites are not working. (I know mine aren't--the important ones are, those that shine brightly into Peeps' eyes!)
Have good winter, my friend! Nice, cool, basement--grin!
nice scene captured here and love the subtlety of metaphor here. Nicely done Brian. Thanks
within their fences, just the way I feel, I never lie...people don't like visiting negativity unless it's yours because you write with such thoughtfullness, you're never cruel...I like that the most about you
Nice flow.. vivid!
www.anucreations.blogspot.in
That is definitely the question...why during rush hour? Ha
Nice piece
Hugs
SueAnn
what a great way to travel to work....tractors and farms...so very different...i like that!
I can see and feel this one inside my bones. So familiar, all of it.
That is right up my alley! thanks for a simple, charming and playful piece-
This is a wonderful scene from my childhood.
Not much of a rush out here. Glad to live out here in this country where there isn't much rush at all.
A familiar scene here as well...those tractors should have their own lane, eh? Smiles, as you say.
Oh, the simplicity of life! What a lovely poem. You have a good eye for life's meaning, and it translates so well here.
"making shadows dance"....what a beautiful image....hope you and your family have a great weekend Brian!
Good observation and a poem is born....
Sounds like where I live. And...they do it at that time of day cause that's when they're going home from work too, and they've probably been doing it since long before the traffic was around. Still, it is frustrating to get stuck behind a creeping tractor - I know. Have a good weekend Brian.
Great depiction of country life! Lord knows I've spent more than my share of time stuck behind a slow-moving tractor. I'm not sure there is ever a great time for farm equipment on the road, but it's just a fact of life for anyone in rural areas. Another terrific poem!
this is what I love here... precious little moments.......great!
.. with all the livestock wandering freely, I'm imagining you on a winding road in Wales! (thanks for your sweet comment)
"dance in the new dawning day"
only you could take a traffic slow down and make it beautiful, Brian! LOVE this!
thanks for joining in at Poetry Jam!
Cows. Yesssssss :)
Your imagery is wonderful.
"Dance in the new dawing." I like that. I think its interesting that you are using playful youth to create the shadow element in your poem. Very cool.
I see this image often where I live (wether it be horses, cows, goats). The struggle for me is to NOT get out of the car and take a photo... possibly holding up traffic all the more. I did that once, and well, people are not their best during early morning traffic...
Wonderful piece Brian, just getting acquainted with your work and this one is a little gem.
Post a Comment