Oct
The Road Home
By I. Ron. Spike
You came and went
and stayed again
to see your children lost in sleep
and walked amongst the oaks
a mind full of drifted wood
with dreams all canned, and sold for bread
Wildness exchanged for the man’s great maze
the foreign land that swallowed you whole
your proud, shattered love sent underground
a small face in the crowd, to be lost and never found
So came the day for the long road north
steel veined
past rolling hills, and the in-between
time offering sadness its place
the ship, slowly but surely, gets tugged in
Then you hear the rich brogue, and pipes once again
Wonder at the tenement towers of cemented grim, ignored by childhood play
to a road called Easter, where you once bled
but now nobody remembers you, or cares where you’ve been
Tartan soldier
the one who returned
cold blue, and whiskey breathed
prostrate on the cobbled mews
with no enemy to find
now that the seagulls have all turned their backs
ashen feet from the kicked-out pyre
Look up child inside, one last time
from your grassy knoll, look up!
as you lay down to die
for the king has gone
with his coal black heart
into the heathery mist he rides
to his castle in the sky
You have come home
My Scotland the brave, you have come home
~~~~~~
Tiffany V
I integrate Transformative Language Arts into any work I do, and I work with people all over the world, but I can't tell you who they are, due to NDAs! I was once told, “you exude art.” So, I decided to spend the rest of my life helping other like-minded individuals get to do the same. Let’s do something magical together!
Elegant, mystic, returning, Scotland, woman, man, child and death are all images from the heather sounding with bag pipes which make this poem a tapistry of pristine beauty bridging earth and sky, age to other age. This is a very impressive poem worth savoring with several readings.
I like reading poems, especially when excellent like this one by I. Ron!
and read with a raspy Scottish brogue…. Oh yes!
Much to admire, highly entertaining.
Could hear the bagpipes in the background. Nice.
This poem evokes strong patriotism and raw, internalized sentimentalism for a stoic country. Further, I enjoy the unique lyrical structure. It is certainly a ballad I could hear a mother reciting to her child before bedtime, cryptic to little one, but strongly evoking for those who can hear and fell the heartbeat of their homeland. Well done. Cheers.
I have now read this poem about 10 times and in doing so, will be shocked if I don’t know who the author is. The subtext and lyrical lines which flow as waves homeward would suggest Scotland, but there is much more I believe written within and from the psyche of this genius. The more I read this poem the more I am impressed.
I have made it a dedicated point to read and review every single entry and do my best to honestly state my views without prejudice to author or my own personal taste in stories or poems. Despite the knowledge that I am not the one who will decide the finalists, I do offer my own opinion on certain stories or poems which are worthy of being finalists. This poem is worthy of such consideration.
This is well crafted and poignant. Perfect for Veteran’s Day. Reminds me a bit of the famous song Danny Boy.
I want to personally thank the author of this poem. In my educated evaluation, I found “The Road Home” to be the best entry out the thirty-two stories/poems submitted. I am fairly sure I know who wrote this and if so I remain your devoted and humble fan. I consider myself an excellent poet and love of poetry, but am far below your genius talent and skill level.
If I am incorrect then I still offer my humble praise to you for such artisan genius. There is a richness of subtext that is beyond the Scotland or war sown in this kilt that most obviously missed, but I did not. I hope the day arrives when I can meet you and thank you in person.
After receiving two denials from two top notch writers and poets who frequent this site at times, I would be shocked if I am wrong about the author of this poem. If I am correct, I will add that this is the second poem of his published here (the first being the Valentine contest of last year). I thought he had the best entry in both of these two contests.
I congratulate this author for his poetry that has the quality and potential of remaining classic and read, two hundred years from now. I imagine his name will be remembered long after mine is forgotten.
At last I now have two possibilities as to the author’s name with that being Scot versus subtext. Hmmm…
My congratulations to Grant Laurence, because I had you as the winner of the original round.
Thank you very much, PM! Extremely flattered, and inspired, by your comment versus The Road Home – which has some very deep meaning for me, in fact a great deal of emotion wells up in me simply by referring to the text.
I am truly honored to be associated to such a talented group of writers, of which I consider myself to be a boy carving his name in a tree outside the school gates.
Thank you again.
Grant