crosstie

designed by man's mind

plowed, carved, laid, ran

through backyard America

 

swamps, lowlands, runoffs

unforgiving skies fading

creeks, branches

 

property lines unfold

neighbors divided

fences, hedgerows

 

winter changed its face

broke its heart a little

rock-a-bye in grayscale

 

cities, town, villages

passerby intersection

pedestrian crossing

 

concrete, steel, dirt

crows along the power line

then there's nothing to see

 

 

Reviews

[Sami Khalil]

I love visiting your page and your wonderful poems for they is always something new and ways to learn things from your surrounding or your deep thoughts. Your talent oozes here...:)..............

[jacob erin-cilberto]

"good morning america, how are ya? say don't you know me i'm your native son! i'm the train they call the city of new orleans and i'll be gone 500 miles 'fore the day is done"

and you so adequately describe the landscape as it passes us by, and it's just how life passes us by..and sooner or later there will only be the crows...no humans...and nothing left to see.

[redflutterby]

Ive always wanted to ride a train across country...just watch the American landscape from a window while feeling the rhythmic motion of the train. You always show us what's out there waiting to be seen. Loved this..

[paddy d daly]

nice play on words from an unusual viewpoint, there are no crossties from where I come from but i can empathize with your sentiments here.....

[m.s.early]

Crossties hold our rails still. I've been on a train for the better part of the day, looking in on people's backyards, the backyards of cities, the backyards of forests. I live in a lovely country

[paddy d daly]

it's whole different way of seeing the country than than that of driving a car.

[Rose of many colours]

I gather that as the population increases and technology advanced the ideas of man has dominated the true and pure America. What site you behold of nature as a young person seems to disappear..

[m.s.early]

Maybe it disappears or maybe a new respect burgeons. As poets we can keep any emotion alive as long as we wish ;)

[Rose of many colours]

Very much so..

[lost girl]

You made a path... bringing us to the edge of imagination with those Cherokee eyes of yours! I'm riding the rails like I did as a child, as free as flying, I loved the train! Let's talk about the crossties for a second, they are tricky aren't they ...igniting us to ride into freedom and at the same time dividing us ...taking us into and away from....sometimes so far away we forget our start...or maybe that is just us wanting to...I think in my heart there is always more to see...but I like that you left it up to the reader.
( winter changed its face
broke its heart a little
rock-a-bye in grayscale) of course this is my favorite stanza but I do linger in those solitary trees with no leaves :) My library is gonna be full if you don't stop writing- BUT DON'T EVER STOP!

[m.s.early]

Your comments are always so touching and encouraging. Thank you so much for your interest :)

[lost girl]

Yw, It's where I am suppose to be. Ty, because your teaching me how to touch softer and be encouraging in my perception and my honesty.

[Ruth]

This is magnificent...

"winter changed its face
broke its heart a little
rock-a-bye in grayscale"......................top notch x

[m.s.early]

Thank you so much Poppy :)

[Ruth]

Always welcome x

[Lyn Anderson]

A powerful write. Much less "in your face" than my smack you over the head environmental stuff, but it is perfectly executed for maximum punch.

[m.s.early]

Well KL... no one delivers smacks on any subject the way you do ;)

[Bright Ocean Star]

This is a truly masculine poem. A cross tie, like the railroad crossties...that put together connecting town to town and allow the rumble of trains to cross their backs. I would have never thought about this particular object, but I love the romantic edge you put on this. "swamps, lowlands, runoffs, unforgiving skies fading creeks, branches..." Taking a train across the country is one of the best ways to see the country. It is absolutely beautiful. This poem reminds me of my last train ride... last summer. Thank you, Xavier.

[m.s.early]

Thank you Anne. I'm on a train as we speak :)

[Bright Ocean Star]

ahhh.....that explains a lot! :)