Literary Yard

Search for meaning

‘Franken Cross’ and other poems

By: Duane L Herrmann

FRANKEN CROSS

Cross by road side
carved in stone
for the ages in
Bayern and specifically,
Franken, that eastern edge
of the Frankish empire.
Remember, they say,
He suffered and then died
for you a pain filled death,
for YOUR sins!
Life is hard, but His
suffering was for YOU!
Message to the mass
of struggling peasants
who toiled and
even starved.
As towns expand
they build around
and do not touch
these monuments
dotting hillsides
of long ago oppression.
Ancient roads and ways
now speed by these
witness reminders of
once upon a time
and long suffering.

###

FOUND VOICE

Voice was taken
away. The boy,
just age four, was
forbidden to talk.
No conversation,
no opinions allowed,
nor expression of frustration.
With endless work,
and no affection –
suicide appealed,
yet the boy grew up.
As a man, he began
to create his voice,
starting with Whispers
Shouting (in potential)
Glory, and progressing –
eventually his words
reached round the world.

###

TREE VIEW SECRET

Tree house on the edge,
the side of a sea,
a sea of wheat –
bright green in fall,
again in spring.
As it grows,
leaves begin to speak,
softly,
rustling secrets.
As plants mature,
speaking louder,
singing, sighing
under wind.
From tree height
waves are seen,
rolling waves
across wheat sea:
AWESOME!

###

SONGBIRDS, BUTTERFLIES, AND DEATH

We are killing them –
the chemicals we love,
our own invention,
are deadly
for life around us:
butterflies,
birds that sing,
and so much else,
even ourselves.
What will life be
if we have only
crows to see
and their, “caw.”
How sweet to the ear
is that to hear?
“Caw, caw, caw,”
in morning’s light.
“Caw, caw, caw,”
through day to night.
And their colors:
black and black –
how chromatic is that?
Killing chemicals are
not the only answer:
we are creative,
we can do better.
When?

###

DADDY SLEEPING

Lying still, asleep,
but not: frozen,
not moving,
not breathing,
my father
he appeared
he would wake up,
open his eyes,
and smile at me,
as he would have
if he could,
but the accident,
and, I later learned,
ineptness, or
arrogance.
We’ll never know…
Childhood ended,
he was dead.

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