Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Extra: High Meadow.


A Springtime Memory was called-for at HEADS OR TAILS. Nothing grabbed me at first and then it all surged back; a memory that has lain dormant for many decades. So I say 'Thanks for the Memory'!


HIGH MEADOW.

As we walked down the hill from Farley,
Past the gates of Alton Towers,
We saw the hedgerows pricked out 
With the first of the Springtime flowers.
Betty and I were schoolgirls,
In our skirts of navy-blue,
White shirts, green ties and jumpers,
Plus thick lisle stockings too.
We were not given to wildness,
We were, in fact,  quite staid,
But we had paid no attention
To the difference that Springtime made.
The greens were suddenly vibrant,
The soil had a richer smell,
The birds were frantically nesting,
And, suddenly, strange to tell.....
Two schoolgirls became enchanted,
Like nymphs from some ancient tale,
Overcome by the magical freshness,
After winter had grown stale.
We came to a farm-gate, open, 
Inviting us to step through,
And, without a word, we did so,
Into a world brand new.
Laughing we stripped off stockings, 
Untied constricting ties,
Tossed those symbols of winter
Toward the shimmering skies.
The meadow seemed elevated,
Above the pastures around.
There was something sacred about it.
Yes, this was our sacred ground.
The grass was damp from a shower,
Our feet were soon washed clean,
Freshened and blessed with renewal,
Young feet in a sea of green.
And we danced to an inward rhythm,
We danced to an unheard song,
We shouted aloud to our music
As we galloped and pranced along.
And we laughed like two girls demented,
Well, maybe we were, in a way.
But, oh, what a glorious madness
Entered our souls that day!
Don't tell me you know about Springtime,
You really don't, you know.
Only Betty and I knew Springtime,
In a meadow long ago.

16 comments:

Bradley Hsi said...

lovely photo, beautiful color and really nice verse. It brought a lot of memory of our days in England, so many years ago.

anthonynorth said...

That was a really enjoyable read.

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful landscape!

Jinksy said...

Sounds like at rue case of 'Those were the days, my friend!'

Margaret Gosden said...

Lovely!

magiceye said...

gorgeous colors and lovely verse

Carolina said...

What a gift you have to turn a tale into a wonderful poem.

DeniseinVA said...

What a lovely post. I thoroughly enjoyed the poetry and the photo. Both were superb. Thank you for sharing both.

Reader Wil said...

What a wonderful spring poem! Thank you! The past is precious for what we are today! In my side bar I put part of an Aboriginal poem, which I also used for my husband's mourning card.

“LET NO ONE SAY THE PAST IS DEAD
THE PAST IS ALL ABOUT US
AND WITHIN."

Thank you for visiting. Your friend will surely miss a lot of musings if she doesn't want to be reminded of the past.

Kat said...

Betty Bohenik...
I know how much you love her.

gautami tripathy said...

Very visual!

Loved it.

lay in lace

Anonymous said...

this poem has made me smile along :) thanks for sharing the summer vibe into my heart.

Julia Phillips Smith said...

Your poem feels so easy-going and conversational, even while keeping its rhythmn and rhyme scheme. Totally impressed! And I really love this:

'And we laughed like two girls demented,
Well, maybe we were, in a way.
But, oh, what a glorious madness
Entered our souls that day!'

Anonymous said...

Oh, my!
How I want to strip off my stockings and go dance in the fields...

wonderful!!

Tumblewords: said...

Delightful! A truly terrific memory - the visual is enchanting. Is the image a painting?

Sherri B. said...

Magical to read...I could smell and feel spring as if I was right there. Beautiful!