Monday, October 24, 2011

Magpie Tales - Open Land

Friedman photograph provided by Tess Kincaid
Just back from a vacation with very few cities involved. The prompt provided by Tess for this week's Magpie made me want to run back to the open spaces. Looking back in the rear view mirror at the places I have seen in the last ten days and the sense of freedom few experience.

Open Land

East to west
North to South
Miles traveled without a turn
Like sailing the rolling seas
Unmarked by signs.

Driving for hours
Hill to gully
Mesa to ridge
A land unmarked 
By neon signs or city lines.

Across the Navajo mesas
A random pickup
A gate to a hogan
A lone walker
Slowly walks in dust.

The setting sun
The only directional marker
Monuments of stone
and shifting shadows
Marking time.

J. Binford-Bell
October 2011



11 comments:

  1. nice...this felt like a road trip...the little glimpses as i gaze out the window...nice...

    ReplyDelete
  2. You have described my favorite landscapes ... great memories for you I'm certain.

    ReplyDelete
  3. 'A land unmarked
    By neon signs or city lines.' Wide spaces indeed. I'm not surprised the prompt made you want to run back!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I can see how the image paralleled your recent road trip, Jacqui. Wonderful poem! (And I like your photo too!)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Words like mesa and gully make my hand water to write. If that makes sense!

    ReplyDelete
  6. what a trip you must of had..
    mesa....what a lovely word

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love this - it was such a bundle of great images

    ReplyDelete
  8. You certainly captured the wide open spaces...

    ReplyDelete
  9. This makes me yearn for a nice long road trip...

    ReplyDelete
  10. 'A land unmarked
    By neon signs or city lines'.

    Perfect poem and you know how some lines just jump out at you as the above did for me.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Makes me realise what a small place the UK is, as I read your poem...

    ReplyDelete

I appreciate all kind comments on my art and poetry.