Saturday 20 September 2008

A Man of Few Words

I am an incomer to North Yorkshire - have only lived here for twenty-one years, since retiring from teaching in an inner-city school. But I am lucky enough to be married to a man who has lived in this house for the whole of his life - and farmed the land surrounding it. He is a happy and self-sufficient man, and, as my poem about him says, he is a man of few words.

No smile
or word of greeting;
just the raised forefinger
on the steering wheel.

No word of praise
or complaint;
just tacit acceptance.

No eulogies,
no promises of undying love;
just the cuckoo-flower,
the hazelnuts,
or the subtle tail-feather
of the grey partridge
brought in the afternoon
and given with few words,
but saying more
than any gaudy bunch of roses.

13 comments:

Loren said...

Delightful.

I always appreciate poems that say much with a few words.

BT said...

Lovely, Weaver. It says such a lot. In Ireland, where I live, most drivers raise a finger as you pass. It's so friendly.

I write a bit of poetry too. Love textile art and did a course in Worthing a couple of years ago. Our tastes from your profile are similar, in music, books and films.

Mistlethrush said...

Very evocative.

Thanks for comments on Chorley & District Writing Circles blog - small world indeed. I'm no longer a member but still keep in touch via the blog and signpost people to the group.

Hope we keep bumping into each other
Carol

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

The most lovely tribute to a man who sounds quite lovely indeed. Well done!

Gigi Ann said...

That poem was just lovely and such a nice tribute to your husband...It's says so much in such a few words. In my minds eye, I can see him handing you a token of his love for you. I always have said, it is the little things that count. He picked up a partridge feather, because he was thinking of you...how sweet.

Pat Posner said...

Another lovely post, Weaver!

Janice Thomson said...

Simply beautiful Weaver - both what you wrote and how you wrote it.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Thanks to all of you for your comments on my poem! Its comments like that that keep my poetry coming again and again. There is a good "How to write poetry" booklet in today's Observer newspaper - interestiing stuff.

Dave King said...

You may have more words than he, but you sure know how to make each word count! lovely.

Sal said...

I think that is charming..it says it all without rambling on. ;-)

Anonymous said...

They've said it all, really. So just an additional expression of enjoyment and appreciation from me!

Arija said...

...and they mean so much more than empty flowery speeches of undying love so fragile when voiced.
Love the poem.

Crafty Green Poet said...

very nice!

ah I wondered whether i had missed the Observers How to Write Poetry booklet and obviously i did.... Mind you the Journalism and Memoirs booklets will probably stretch me more!