There's no riding the fence any longer!

I have to thank Barbara Walker for her fine poem, 'Moving through Mud' for inspiring me to dig again and write. As with most writing things change, evolve, grow, morph into something else.

Tough to get old and have to be on this road so much. I loved your poem's easy way of carrying such heavy burdens there. I see my wife traveling down that old road with so many others stumbling along there too. Surrounded by that vast crowd of onlookers; so helplessly gaping from the other side of the fence. As you say, how is it possible we once all skipped along there, not seeing those gentle, torn souls obstructing our merry path's. What a riot, as the years flew by, and we learned to pick up speed and taunt each other with, "Catch me!" Nothing the gradual rises and drops in the path, even the occasional steeper grades that were made for young feet. So how did we come to be like those on both sides of the fence; either in the thick of it, seeming to have wicked away from our younger companions all their bumps and bruises, or we are frozen in our other place; observing, helplessly; weakened from our own attempts on that thankless thoroughfare. You probably recall, we've met several times before, once you helped me up from a particularly bad fall. And on another day we came upon a large group of fellow travelers who couldn't seem to make it any further. I watched your tireless efforts. You inspire me, you inspire us all. I thank you for writing and encouraging me to keep on the path, reminding me that we will meet again.

Author's Note

I have been reading Robert Frost. I cannot claim to shadow him, only learn. This poem changed as I wrote. I found someone else on the path with me!

Reviews

[Barbara Walker]

Thank you, Larry! Oh your words are so true! I look in the mirror and say, "Who IS that?" and "What the hell happened?" Sometimes life turns out so far from what one envisioned!