A Helping Hand

Many miles to walk before me

Not so many left behind me

But already I am terribly tired

All life and energy has expired

From my deadened limbs and heavy feet

That have trod a thousand fields of wheat

Now billowing dust clouds up the air

While I stoop beneath the sun’s hot glare

Watching an oxcart rumble past

Down the path, moving fast

It bears a burden heavy and large

Laden with bricks from a river barge

I wave in greeting to the men aboard

They holler back in one accord

They slow, but don’t come to a stop

The men wave again, sitting atop

The load of bricks in the two-ox cart

As we grow slowly, gradually apart

But then I jump up and lope after them

Feet churning the dirt in a hasty run

The driver pulls his team to a stand

And I’m hauled up by a helping hand

And so I sit with the friendly men

And meet them all, a crew of ten.

The road sweeps away below my feet

And I think how fortunate I am to meet

Such kindly folk who have lent a hand

To a poor, weary traveler, not much of a man

Who have spared him of his laborious toil

Of walking over miles of soil

So it is that on a hot summer’s day

I met good fortune, come it may

For a simple, friendly, helping hand

Is worth more than gold to many a man.

Author's Note

I wrote this for a number of reasons - 1) to entertain myself, because i was bored... 2) thinking about the subject of friendship... 3) to see how fast i could write up a poem. did this in 6 minutes and 31 seconds! :D

please read rate and review. don't be light, i like criticism!

Reviews

[Jasmine Thousand]

For some reason I get the idea of an entire life story, told by a grandma/grandpa to their grandchildren. A story with a moral~

On note of the poem, I think it's spectacular. I can almost see each picture passing before me, your descriptions really are amazing.

I liked it. No critism here! :)

~*Jasmine Thousand~*

[Rayann]

This is beautifully written. One of those that I wish didn't end. I look forward to reading more of what you have to offer!

[Starcaller]

This is amazing! XD especially since it only took you six minutes.

[Artiste de Mots]

This is very true. Luck is real when one has faith.

[CHRIS ANDES]

you're a good writer
=]

[selkietales]

Whoa, it only took you six and a half minutes to write this!? Nice! Its very good

[RavenDelcor]

Great illustration of moving from loneliness, burdened with all of one's own life journey to taking the chance that strangers can be friends. Accepting the helping hand, the difficult part of life, is well spoken at the end.
As a free-write, speed write this is great, allowing for thought connections in a word association. It could be refined, but if it were my poem, I'd wait a year or two before attempting any re-write. Just a personal preference of mine, distance from the first flood of thought and emotion helps new thoughts and emotions to emerge and thus completing, or even completely creating a new work.

[Susanna F]

Wow! This is an amazing poem, and really took me by surprise. Wonderful message.

[JadeForever]

at first...it sounded like a walk on a trail..but then it formed into something more majestic and beautiful..:) i like the last two lines..even though they dont reeely rhyme..it flows well for me.. great job!

[The Scholar]

This is a wonderful write, how evanescent is life indeed, and how nice to have a friend to walk it with you and lend their hand.

And how true are those final words..

"For a simple, friendly, helping hand
Is worth more than gold to many a man."

Another beautiful piece of yours. Keep it up. :)

[patricia]

amazing. captures the wanderlust of the nomad in an emotive and touching way, relating tiny connections of humanity with a wise eyed world view. Write a book. Write a book!! Take me with you! Loved it. Six minutes...wow ...the harvest of a lifetime of living.