The Village

The Village

Through shanty's and unkempt vessels
Seasoned now to lack of use
Grey and weathered
With no shine lift to shimmer
Just the glimpse of a forgotten name
In the haze of a midsummer afternoon
Once worthy, now forgotten
Save for a few dusty shelves
Holding her post cards in once prosperous drug stores
Not that long ago
They would celebrate
And feast upon her return.
Traps...like so many forgotten ghosts
Decorate the homestead's of men who were once called captain
Now painted in colours
Gaudy and overstated
Like men who would woo Shakespeare
On a stage where the feminine would be mocked.
Now reserved for photo ops
In seasonal gift shops
Lawn ornaments
For those who have left for greener seas
Of currency and neon lights.
But Mum and Pop remain
Tending to gardens of granite
From rocking chairs on unsteady verandas
Overlooking the blue
They chose to hang their hat on.



Comments

Diana Lee said…
This brings back memories of my visit to Nova Scotia and Cape Breton Island. Thanks for bringing them to life.
Brian Miller said…
i love finding forgotten places, they always have interesting bits sprinkled throughout...
The Silver Fox said…
Funny how such imagery speaks to our own experiences. I picture various places along the eastern seaboard of Massachusetts -- Cape Cod, New Bedford, Nantucket -- and wonder if I should take the time to venture into one of those areas yet again, someday soon. Thanks for that.
Pat Hatt said…
Ugg reminding me of my crap small town
Now that deserves a frown...lol
But the words were spot on
As old thoughts once again dawn
Trev said…
Such amazing imagery in this poem Natasha, it speaks out from the words and paints a vivid picture. Actually reminds me of a place here in Wexford, South East corner of Ireland near where i live called Kilmore Quay. Thanks for sharing this.
Anonymous said…
You mean JIM HANSON REALTY for BOO?
Oh yeah..we are gettin' it all down with the blogs..advise?
hang " low".
(IRONICUS MAXIMUS- KANSAS KINGS)
the imagery is stunning.....

cheers..

check us out and share a free verse with us today.
Anonymous said…
Oh I hope my hat hangs somewhere like this when the time comes Tash - beautiful poem :) Steve
Brian Miller said…
hey there tash...saw this up on twitter and swung through...happy monday to you...delicious rhyme and flow...lawn ornaments for those left for greener pastures...i like...
hedgewitch said…
Great hook at the end, but the whole poem is a strong net of words catching your images of a town on the borderlands between real and memory. The postcards esp. are a nice touch. If you meant "no shine lift" instead of "no shine left" in the fourth line, you are a true master, and if it was a typo, the poetry gods have granted you a generous boon. ;_) Loved it, Tash.
Anonymous said…
I really enjoyed the ease with which I read this poem Natasha, felt like I'd been taking a meander in the boats myself and seeing all these new places I've never been to through your words. Really enjoyed spending time here tonight, chilled now looking for a place to hang my hat :D
brenda w said…
Place...lovely description, you brought it alive. Treasures abound...
Beachanny said…
Thought hard about moving to Sheet Harbor - loved Cape Breton. We stayed 2 weeks in a cabin there and saw whales, no puffins, but on clearer days we saw Newfoundland. So beautiful, so remote. The drive to the grocery store deterred us. So beautiful as is the way you capture that nostalgia of those who leave and those left behind for the sea to weather and age.
signed...bkm said…
Wow, I truly love this...love the references to the Bard wooing him....this is one of my favorites of yours...so descriptive...nice work...bkm
Fireblossom said…
Get out of town, woman! This just kept getting better as i read along.

"Like men who would woo Shakespeare
On a stage where the feminine would be mocked" That's shrewd, and shows you know your stage history...and after all, you're talking about a kind of stage, or tableau, here.

"Lawn ornaments
For those who have left for greener seas
Of currency and neon lights" Greener seas. That's sharp enough, but adding the rest makes it even better, imho.

Tending gardens of granite? Get out. And the last two lines are perfect, and original. it makes the "blue" sound utilitarian and trivial, somehow.

It's official. I hate you, lol.
Unknown said…
Really powerful imagery used in such great flow. This is an exceptional write! I would point out a few of my favorites lines, but fear to insult the others ;) They are all woven perfectly in tie. Great write! ~Rose
Anonymous said…
you are an amazing poet, weaving the story riding off on imagery is the best of the treats. You draw us into the circumventing changes.
Uneven Stephen said…
Wow, you really paint a picture with these words. I LOVE the lines "photo ops / In seasonal gift shops" - just rolls right off the tongue!
libithina said…
what a picture Tash ~ I could even smell those greener seas ~ refreshing ~ edge to the nostalgia ~ the gift shops can weather the lawn ornaments ~ I'll 'overlook the blue' ~ Mmmm ~
Lib ~
MMMagical MMidsummer wishes Tash xx

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