Dig This

A Beat-ified version of an actual happening. Written For Kerry o'Connor's contest

 

 

 

 

 

 

CAN YOU DIG THIS?

 

by the street

in the heat

lay the peat

none too neat

 

massive pile

sighing, drying

exhalating,

waiting...

 

trenchant soil

sun a-broil

pending toil

 

shovel driving

blister rising

barrow rolling

t'ward enholing

 

down one lane

uphill the other

where waits the brother

home project lover

 

bad dirt lifted

now sifted

rocks outrolling

slowly shoaling

with good blended

to hole send it

raking

i ain't faking

grime is caking

throat is baking

thirst unslaking

 

timber

dismembered,

spade bits boring,

the beds upshoring,

the ring of steel

as it grabs it's meal

 

finished now,

first two terraces--

limps embarrass us

 

standing back

work admiring

apple tree aspiring

heavily perspiring

 

smiling, as

tools upgathering

Yes, my brother:

 

I CAN DIG THIS!

 

Mark Teague

June 9, 2011

 

 

 

 

 

Reviews

[emmajoy]

WONDERFUL! Love the picture you paint as it uncurls across the canvas of your lines .. love the throbbing, playful meter, your play of words and the ending is just beautiful!

' standing back ~~ work admiring ~~ apple tree aspiring ~~ heavily perspiring '

(As you can imagine, have felt a little like the above, once or twice or more!)

[An owl on the moon]

Yes and yes! I love being outside (actually just came in a bit ago when it 90!), and this was something i could sink my shovel into.. There is something so satisfying about building and creating outside.. Loved this!

[Allen Smuckler]

Enjoying your vacation are you? Sounds like work to me...
Of course a great write with terrific force and energy...
you pounded it home
allen

[Kerry O'Connor]

You have captured the inexorable rhythm of modern life in your terse lined, and tightly rhymed piece. Such momentum to drive home your message, I was quite breathless by the end... and yes, I think we all CAN dig it.

Thank you for entering your work in the Sunday Challenge #3

[Crowley]

Oh I can dig it...great rhythm, bumps along like ford fairlane full of landscapers...loved it.

[ImagineItAll]

This is great! Hard work can get you very far...

[Tommy]

I can dig it! The hard work of just gettin' by, and someday I hope I can look back at life, pondering the works I've done, not in awe, but more in, wow, I made it...

Great Write Mark!
RLG,
Tommy