A FAR REACH (photo) & THE BURDEN OF NOTHING (non-dream free verse poem) by Roswila

THE BURDEN OF NOTHING

how awkward to have one's life centered around
an absence; I mean almost literally, like a large hen
brooding over the emptiness between her long pale legs;
the brief sighting of a mature rooster rousing her feathers
to full fluff as she rears to brightly colored attention
on her nest and sighs (if a hen could sigh, of course),
even as he passes her by like all the others; is she too big,
too imposing, too laid back as she waits alone; is her roost
too far out of reach for a roused rooster to have the patience
to approach, here in this private corner of the barn loft ...
whatever! you'd think they'd sense her echoing emptiness
packed round with readiness but no, she just waits
and waits, tired of waddling when she wanders out
for a breath of fresh air and is reminded yet again
of the burden of nothing she bears between her legs
(if, of course, a hen could even think of such things)


[non-dream free verse poem written 4-5-17. I've had this ready for a while but have hesitated to post it. But I don't have anything else ready for posting and, hell, why be embarrassed about the subject matter anyway. After all I am 73 and have been around the block a few times. Yet, still, I am a little uncomfortable with it. Some things never change. :-) Photo "A Far Reach" (4-3-17 011v2) by Roswila; BTW, that's the Channel Islands vaguely on the horizon, almost looking as if they're floating in the air]

PLEASE NOTE: in most browsers you can click on the above image for a larger version. Also, the photo accompanying a post is not necessarily meant to illustrate it, but to reflect some small, even slant aspect of the verse, similar to Japanese haiga (illustrated haiku).

There are many other sorts of posts on this blog. I indicate which are about or influenced by dreams. Some non dream focused posts are book reviews, "regular" poems (some by other writers), scifaiku, writing exercises, Tarot haiku, photos, haiga, and so on. However, most of those are in much older posts. There's a listing by month going back to early 2006, at the end of the sidebar.

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until next time, keep dreaming,

[a/k/a Patricia Kelly]
**** If you wish to copy or use any of my writing or poems, please email me for permission (under “View my complete profile”). Roswila's other blog (dedicated to her photos only, i.e. no poetry or other writing; daily post); TRYING TO HOLD A BOX OF LIGHT.