A Thousand Outstretched Arms Poem by Bill Smith

I’ve walked this path a hundred times
Above me in bright spring sunshine
A thousand bare arms stretch for the sky
Under my feet, gnarled tree roots exposed
Appear like the arthritic fingers of an old widow
My shadow glides over the deep russet carpet
Autumns golden butterflies crunch under my feet
Their sound reminiscent of crisps munched by hungry schoolboys
Cutting through the warm sunshine
The cold breeze stings my ears
above
Stretched across a blue sky
Pilots weave vapour trial patterns
The view across the valley to the hills opposite
Where a once clean skyline now holds the ivory towers of progress
Windmills reaping the wind
The greater part of me hating the intrusion on the moors I love
Yet grudgingly accepting that in some way the do look majestic

From nowhere I begin to draw parallels with the nature around me
And my own life

Bare branches become my arms reaching for tomorrow
Fallen leaves crushed underfoot my hopes
Their rustle the thoughts rattling in my head
Vapour trails stretching long only to disappear as my dreams

From nowhere a thousand arms pull me back
The realisation that the love of family and friends
is enough to be thankful for
Though alone with my thoughts, days such as this
Bathed in glorious sunshine
Are there for the taking
Windmills standing tall symbolise hope for the future
Rustling leaves below give way to the new buds of spring above
And all my tomorrows lie safe in a thousand outstretched arms