my binds are cuffed to this red clay mud

my binds are cuffed to this red clay mud
Queen Anne's lace rising and bending
from the wind in the west
leaning towards the Atlantic

the sun is at meridian
it is the glory of the day
it is beautiful
between the two willows in the field
birds are making love there
flying, dipping over the lake
they are not mired
they are not stuck
they are as free as a child’s love
their singsong slowly fades
and they disappear behind the treeline

Reviews

[Gypsy Warrior Queen]

It is why you stay, isnt it? The glorious freedoms of simplicity...the good memories of how "youthful" felt.
The smell of the pastures, the warmth of the sun... breezes that call your name home...sweet smiles and hand holding. I love the romantic nature of your words and thoughts....they lull me into watching those birds...rise and descend....sway and blend. Breathtaking X....

[m.s.early]

Thank you queenie. Very lovely thoughts.

And yes, that's why I stay.

[Gypsy Warrior Queen]

Your writing always makes me homesick for a place I've never been....

[jacob erin-cilberto]

being free is being in love...and if we are cuffed to a certain life...we feel tied...but in this poem, the life is one the speaker wants to be bound to...so for him, the paradox, being cuffed is being free.
nicely done,
j.

[Lyn Anderson]

A seamless blending of emotion and nature. Simply gorgeous in its simplicity. I love poetry deep in meaning but unfettered by ambiguous flowery language.

[alanwgraham]

You have draw some beautiful images of this place here m.s. I don't quite get your first line - I suspect you may be using a local expression but i have the same problem.

[m.s.early]

Thank you for your reply. Cuffed is a slang term used when a police officer apprehends a suspect and binds his hands behind.

Here the narrator feels as though the proverbial binds that anchor him to his homeplace are metaphorically "cuffed" to the red clay mud he is standing in.

Binds and cuffed may be redundant, but I like the way it sounds 😊

[alanwgraham]

Of course, thanks. I should have got that. It is a great metaphor - our ties to our place are very strong! I think that line works really well!

[m.s.early]

Thank you so kindly for your time to review 😊

[barleygirl]

This is a pure & simple song of delight in the natural aspects of living. I feel exactly this way, living in a rustic cabin surrounded by wilderness. I am connected to these coastal California mountains just as you & your red clay in your poem. Your message seems to contain a bit of a rebuttal, as if you've had criticism about your choice. I've been immersed in wild pleasures so long, I forgot how people have thought me a little eccentric & crazy over the years *wink! wink!* Fondly, Margie

[m.s.early]

You read very astutely sweet friend. Thank you kindly. 😊

[Kelly Scheppers]

There is much to revel at in reading you. I loved the imagery of the two willows in the field, the birds flying, dipping over the lake. It is beautiful to see you with more frequency, Matt. I hope for good things for you...to overwhelm your heart!

[m.s.early]

Reviews like this makes it worth it 😊