The logs that was put in that barn
are up there until this day, an’ it turns out,
they were made by my Gran’pa
an’ were a part of his home a mile up this here creek
where he lived an’ where my kinfolk are resting.
Those logs are older than my Ma.
She was borned in that house after they moved there,
an’ she was borned ‘round 1891.
Yep, them logs has been there some.
An’ the house was there an’ them logs,
an’ twice since we’ve taken over the land,
since they all be gone an’ sweetly passed away,
someone has approached me to buy them logs.
An’ the first one offered me eighty dollars for the logs.
An’ Lord knows, we needs the money
‘cept I can’t sell them. They’s history in em.
They are still sound ‘cept where they’re layin’ on the ground.
The ones that were axed an’ are in the earth,
look as perfect as the day they were put there!
An’ it was only last week that my kinfolk that live up there
said some man ask him to talk to me could he buy them.
An’ they had been there that long.
But I reckon I won’t sell them,
cause they has my Gran’pa’s sweat in them.
At least eighty-five years since I’ve been here.
An’ my Pa–there’s his axe marks
where he made them, on them very same logs.
So moving… And i love the use of dialectisation in poetry! I am not a native speaker, but is it the manner of pronunciation of American South? I read it aloud imitating Brad Pit’s speech from Inglorious Bastards… and i loved the poem even more 🙂
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Thank you. I am happy you liked my “mountain poetry” Yes, it is the dialect of the Appalachian region of the American south. The Brad Pitt comparison was perfect. Thank you for such kind and validating comments. I appreciate it.
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Thank you for sharing your poetry with us 🙂
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Thank you for following my blog and reading my work.
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