Wednesday 10 April 2013

A Few Remarks on This and That


On the dusty bowl of earth,
Wind stirs lethargic leaves,
Remonstrating them
Parches of raw earth look tired
Their eyelids closely knit
Cursing the sun

But some few meters away
On the green hills, the sight beholds
Manicured lawns sit idly, bougainvillea
Fences looking pretty, all shy, all trim

Once in a while, some stray wind
Will scuttle past the barren land
Onto the pampered fields
But they wouldn’t go far
Perhaps intimidated by the ‘bossy’ leaves

The lazy bystander fiddles with a flower
Rubbing the petals in his nose
And it is in that reverie that the gate-man
Will stir him, asking,
‘Unafanya nini hapa?’ (What are you doing here?)

~
For a prompt of Poets United's Verse First ~ COLORED

13 comments:

Unknown said...

SL~
Your poem accentuates the differences between and inferences about the "haves" and "have-nots", the two sid-by-side yet worlds apart. Nice job. Glad you posted this at Verse First.

Sherry Blue Sky said...

Salem, it is great to see you at Poets United again. We have missed you. I love the vision of the man, in reverie, nose buried in a bloom.....and then the gateman. Love the "dusty bowl of earth".

Lisa Williams said...

A captivating poem, I especially like "wind stirs lethargic leaves" .

Grace said...

You write so well ~ I like the perspective from both sides, with the ending conversation ~ Nice to meet you ~

The Unknowngnome said...

The wind too blows both ways where bossy leaves abound, lethargic or not.

The question itself is asked by all men who think, regardless of having or not and "The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind".

Good one Salem.

Jinksy said...

A delicate and beautiful observation of the the world around you. :)

Aishwarya Magesh said...

Nice one..........

Margaret said...

Parches of raw earth look tired
Their eyelids closely knit
Cursing the sun

Oh, that is an amazing description! I also really marvel at the ability here to showcase the opposites and the use of a "gate man" - such splendor isn't for everyone...

LLM Calling said...

those leaves are so bossy,great analogy

Rosemary Nissen-Wade said...

Fascinating to read of a place I know only through your vivid words.

Sharp Little Pencil said...

First time reader, and this one packed a punch. At first, it seems almost benign, two scenes seemingly disconnected. But the truth lies heavy on the heart; the activist in me recognized the economic (and probably racial) divide. Still "gate men," still the dichotomy of haves and have-nots. Africa changes as slowly as America, and the old ways are hard to break. This is called one big shame on the rich, as it is here. Peace, Amy

Stormcat Poetry said...

I feel the loneliness and longing here.
Not just economics, power or social stature,
it's every time I see a couple with children and wonder why I'm alone.

echoesofthehill said...

KIM NELSON,

Thank you so much. It is always a pleasure to be inspired by your apt prompts.

SHERRY BLUE SKY,

Despite my crazy schedule, it is great to have an awesome Poets United! The community is a part of me. Thanks for your kind comments Koko.

LISA WILLIAMS,

The Board of Management of ‘Echoes of the Hills’ wishes to relay its warm welcome to you for visiting these premises. The Board also takes note of your wonderful comment and encourages you to make this place your home, any time. Karibu sana.

GRACE,

On behalf of myself and rocks and echoes of the hills, I wish to extend warm welcome to you for visiting these hills and urge you to come back again.

THE UNKNOWNGNOME,

Always the Gnome! Look at the way you just pulled the meaning close to you, wrung it and squeezed another great perspective! Such sagacity!

JINKSY,

On behalf of myself and rocks and echoes of the hills, I wish to extend warm welcome to you for visiting these hills and urge you to come back again.

LASHA M,

It is the tradition here that we welcome guests. A toast for you!

MARGARET,

Thanks for discerning my meaning. You are spot-on! And feel welcome to ‘Echoes of the Hills’.

EMMA MAJOR,

Haha, true. You are sincerely welcome to this blog. Feel free to drop by any other time.

ROSEMARY NISSEN-WADE,

Thanks for that. I am glad for you to say that. You are officially welcome to this blog.

SHARP LITTLE PENCIL,

First, amazing poetry that you are doing. I am your fan. Thanks for your kind comment. It is encouraging that the divides are not as bad and as gruesome as they were in the past. I could also be wrong but we are taking the baby steps. Welcome to Echoes of the Hills, Amy.

STORMCAT POETRY,

Welcome officially to Echoes of the Hills. I agree with you. Let us hope for a more human and equal world.

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