Fox Mountain Sequence
I
Nose hairs quickly turn to needles
On these snowy winter nights-
Fat flakes catch the sharp light
Of the headlamp like comets,
Burning off as they float by.
Trundle through the snow,
Past the withered apple trees
To grab the pitchfork in the barn,
Pass through the big doors
To the mangled round bale.
Stab, lift, flake a piece off
For the sweet brutes sleeping
In the shelter or way out back.
Once the job is done
Go back the way you came,
Close the doors, hang the fork,
And run back to the house
Blowing breaths like a steam train.
II
As the harsh winter subsides
And the remaining snow melts,
The pastures wake up a vivid green
Bringing the scent of spring.
Ride on the wind to the pumphouse
And turn off the water-
Venture into the fields, picking stones along the way,
For the pipes must be moved today.
Run along and unlatch them-
A hearty tug releases stale pond water.
One on each end now, take a few paces,
Set them down and slide them in their places.
Run back along and fasten the latches,
Toss more rocks into the trees as you go-
In a few months’ time the pastures will seed
And golden rows will be gathered with speed,
Bailed, wrapped, and stacked away
Before winter’s wrath rots the hay.
III
There we were that Hallows’ eve -
Walking down the gravel path between rows
Of generations shrouded in lead, wrapped in birch -
All clad in black and grey.
You only get a bitter sense of the end-
Words fall on dead ears
Dressed in tough boots never worn,
With crisp new pants and a flat cap.
Albeit the words were said,
Hastily, and with some cheap reverence.
The final rite of crossed roses and tears
Did away with a life I will know
As the green and wet fields,
Dull silver pipes and sweet brutes,
Rows of fragrant golden grass
And praise of a job well done.
About this poem
I was inspired to write this poem after I returned home to carry my grandpa's coffin to his grave.
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"Fox Mountain Sequence" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/175281/fox-mountain-sequence>.
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