Where The Maize Grows

(Intimidating)

Where tractor tracks have marked a path

we walk where farmer's fields divide.

On either side are sentinels,

formidable on guard they stand.

A shield that looms above our heads,

full green, a wall where silence speaks.

"Keep out" I hear "don't trespass here",

a whisper echoes in my ear 

and I for one quite happily

pass through and do so hastily.

Reviews

[emmajoy]

' , a wall where silence speaks.' Thinking on that sentence. Closing eyes, seeing how it is, what It can mean.

So many paused footsteps, Chris, barricades to freedom of speech, thought and movement. Everywhere. You name it. Your words are subtly clever as clever, used the countryside and its waiting harvest.. seems life and all it means is suspended like that Damoclean (?) sword.

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Em. I do enjoy finding out where my lines take the reader. I always find those little journeys so interesting. Those maize fields were intimidating for sure. Gets the mind wandering.

Chris

[emmajoy]

Seems there are signs like that everywhere these days. The right to be Self - and accepted for it, is a taboo at times. Sad world.

[Pete]

this is interesting. i've always had a great awe and respect for crops. i find a corn field to be somewhat sacred and intimidating sort of like divine soldiers stretching out for acres. this was unexpected, touching and brought back pleasant memories of that feeling ... :)

[Chris Shaw]

You must experience the same sort of intimidation that I had. It was the height of the maize, the movement in the breeze and the whispers that spooked me Pete. Thanks for your visit.

Chris

[NotUsinganymore]

Very nice poem I remember when I was living in Korea country side, our yard was right next to a rice field. We'd play soccer and the ball would get stuck in the water and mud. We would always run through the rice field to get the ball.

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you JungLee for sharing those memories that my poem triggered. Thank you for your visit.

Chris

[Rye]

I really enjoyed this write, light and fun

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Rye for your review. All good wishes.

Chris

[Vin]

took me to childhood early morning walks.

Sending LOVE

[Chris Shaw]

Nice to have a trip down nostalgia Lane vin. Pleased that's where these lines took you. Appreciate the love sent too. We all need a bit more love at the moment in a world so full of hate. Appreciate your visit.

Chris

[Lorry]

I just had another spooky biscuits moment reading this Chris.more of that later, but firstly I get the image of the sentinels being scarecrows, which as any kid knows, chase and eat trespassers. Old farmer John bellowing for you to get orff his land and you finally breathing once safe.
Now, the spooky biscuits moment... Just before logging on, I was reading volume 1 of Ray Bradbury short stories, and the story I read was the scythe, about a guy who ploughs a field, knowing each grain cut is attached to a life and he must do it, knowing he will finally be killing his own family. That's one field I don't want as a shortcut 😀

[Chris Shaw]

My last two poems have produced spooky biscuits Lorry How weird is that? You reading a horror story about grain fields really representing people and scythes to cut them down? Wow, then I go and write a poem about walking through the maize and being spooked by its intimidation and whispers. Ha ha. That's one weird wave length we're inhabiting at the moment. I wonder what the chances are of a hat trick of spooky biscuits :))

Chris

[Lorry]

A spooky biscuits triple bill? Surely not. But if it does, it just proves that some people are just weird magnets. I'll leave that up to you to say which of us is the weird magnet, but I'm sure your readers know it's me but are too polite to say... Thankfully 😀

[jacob erin-cilberto]

i really like the allegory of this---
those who build walls often end up keeping themselves locked in than keeping others out.
the country is divided so much...the world is divided...and even two farmers' fields are divided...
i like the passing through hastily....
feeling not so safe to tread...but sneaking through...laughing...ha ha..i broke the barriers...
j.

[Chris Shaw]

Now that's weird isn't it? We were talking about divided nations and I had already penned this poem about a divided maize field :) I really like how you have responded here Jacob. Thank you.

Chris

[Kay Salisu Titilola]

This is beautiful, Chris.
You painted it so well.
I enjoyed the reading.
I wish I could be there.

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Kay. It certainly looked beautiful, but it was a bit spooky too.

Chris

[John Alexander McFadyen]

We are surrounded by Maise filled fields this year and last year we went walking through several on weekend walks and they are quite eerie. You capture this nicely in this descriptive piece Chris.

[Chris Shaw]

They are spooky when they are in full height. Intimidating, and those whispers in the breeze, hey I just wanted to get out of there quickly. Thanks John.

Chris

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Google Wistow Maze. It is a couple of miles from us.Every year they have a new theme, this year it is the moon landing!

[Chris Shaw]

Isn't that amazing? How do they do that, saw an ariel view. Closed today, all that rain yesterday. Whipping up a wind here as well. More rain later. Good morning John.

[John Alexander McFadyen]

It is amazing and very popular. Good morning Chris. Just getting on with chores before Friday gym's 12k etc then off to Newcastle tomorrow for four days.

[Chris Shaw]

Enjoy :).......