Monday, April 27, 2020

YOKEL ( 29 ) ~









Dodge






Glassy shine

Of the old truck

Behind the bush

Beside the barn








5




At the far corner table

Of the fairgrounds in a

Cage nearly hidden by

A sheet thrown over

As if neglected stood up

Rooster with feathers made

Almost mossy but wild and

Dangerous streaks of

Yellows and reds bristle

When I dared to lift

Halfway the sheet




Spring Air






Rainwater —

Enough in the

Flat of a field

For a pair of ducks

To float all day on





6



When pig turns

It’s all head




7



Ahead of us a man

With long open curls

Of gray hair carries

With one hand and leaning

Into his side a cage the

Size of a table holding

Two full-size toulouse geese

And three magnificent slime

Pond green behaved ducks






Many Spring Seasons




What I take to be

Ducklings skittering

Again across the pond

As I watched yesterday

Are old leaves blowing

Over the thinnest ice





8




Kids think

Nothing of

Running 100

Yards to the

Rides running

Back the 100

Yards asking

Us for money

And running

Away the 100

Yards a third

Time laughing





9



Paced off at thirty feet

Pairs of men toss horseshoes —

Some young and careless, others

Older and seasoned, a few older

But having to teach someone a

Lesson — my favorite was the guy

About my age who pitched his

Shoes alone — back and forth

With a ringer every third toss

Dropping softly into the sand —

He never tired, never overthrew,

Scuffed his way stake to stake

And when I left him for a moment

To watch another team finding

Later his lot vacant, shoes picked

Up with him sitting across the

Arena under a tree watching this





10



Favorite places at the fair

Heard far off as we approach —



Bell of horseshoes

Shaking working horse ground




______________
Bob Arnold
Yokel
Longhouse
2011