Imagine yourself in a woodland scene
by the verge of an old winding lane;
and circled around islands of green,
oceans of leaves rustling in waves.
Picture the beech and the sitka spruce
reaching through shade to the dizzying sky,
with beams of sunshine lighting the broom,
and hardly a sound when the wood pigeons fly
Ahead in the distance, through shadow and shine,
glints the White Loch’s shimmering blues,
a border of waves beyond chestnut and pine
and above it the castle in ruins.
A puzzle in brick from the second world war
catches the eye and confuses the brain.
It sits by the lane and tempts some to stop
where mostly these days serenity reigns;
except in the hearts unburdened down here
by youth when love was a furious blaze.
Etched in the bark of some ancient trees:
initials of lovers in happier days -
consigned to the trust of a living page.
Under the spell of some primitive urge -
something so deep that it had to be shared -
They told all the world they’d been captured by love.
Their carvings remind me when wandering here
of moments when feelings flowed fresh and pure
of times when it seemed there was nothing to fear.
It’s the unbroken thread of promise and truth
in the weaving of wonder, light and life:
we reach through shade to dizzying heights
for beams of sunlight to show the way through,
and blown on the winds that carry the leaves
we dream beyond the shimmering blue.
Many fine passages can be seen in this verse, jim... and i liked these so much.. But this line: A puzzle in brick from the second world war was reminded me my ancestors and those times which I remember only from films and books... Best wishes, Tsira
When was this written Haven’t seen anything new from you for awhile
Hi Darcy. Thanks for your comments. Very much appreciated. The original of this is gone so I'm not sure of when exactly it was written. I had it posted on here at least once previously; that would take it back to probably 2008. Seems like a life time ago.
Life is a journey of learning. Don't know when I became stupid enough to believe that only youth could be overwhelmed by the ecstacies of romantic love and the agonies of its pains. But boy did I unlearn that fallacy recently. The forest fire of emotion that love can sometimes be, definitely seems to rage at least as wildly in the aged as it does in the young. Almost burned me to the ground...
Yeats urged: Sing whatever is well-made. Jim Hogg complies.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
GUY...u first verse was killing...ocen of leaves...wow, , , u r a good poet..keep it up u cn also read and comment on my poem....thanks for sharing this lovely poem