Ordnance Survey

Gold cherry

By Pat G

Tue, 09 Jun 2015
  • 2036 reads
14 comments
 

For some reason, I aways believed 

dippers could walk under water;

under the precise, pale blue lines 

stamped across sheet one-one-nine.

 

I've seen them dipping their white bibs,

acknowledging the cartographers'

fine borders - as if rivers never lose control - 

and hurling themselves against the flow.

        

The map's conventions ignore

the broken banks, the widening shallows,      

the scattered rocks, the places where 

fat birds flutter into the stream. I stared

          

for an hour, once, hoping for resolution, 

ignoring packed contours, crags, 

vascular signs of vague paths.         

           

I wanted proof. I'm a follower of distinct dots, 

dashes, rights across awkward folds, 

tracks confirmed by lichen stiles, 

 

routes that cross green A-roads, 

pale lemon lanes, villages

laid out in blocks.

There was no confirmation 

of my place or my loss.

Certificate U
Poem

Comments

Submitted by love_writing on

Beautifully written and thought provoking. Real life doesn't show up on things like maps, nor do we. Pale lemon lanes- lovely image!

love_writing

Submitted by Pat G on

Thank you so much. Yes; nothing, including our lives, can be perfectly mapped out, everything is in flux.

Submitted by Philip Sidney on

A map for life, an impossible thing, I love the merging worlds here, paper, living and imaginary, beautiful.

Submitted by Pat G on

thank you 'Sir Philip' smiley

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Beautiful poem, Pat, and I don't know about actually walking underwater, but their wings, I believe, they use a bit like flippers when immersed, and with the physiology of their blood and specially adapted nostrils, they can stay under for upto thirty seconds, so they may very well take an 'aquatic stroll', for all we humans knowsmiley

Tina

 

Submitted by Pat G on

thanks Tina. Great to learn more about those interesting birds.

 

Submitted by socialeaf on

Sho, this is lovely. There is much to be missed when looking too closely. 

 

Submitted by Pat G on

Thank you - wise words.

Submitted by VeraClark on

This is our Facebook and Twitter Pick of the Day!

Get a great reading recommendation every day.

 

 

Submitted by Pat G on

I really appreciate the interest. Most unexpected. Thank you!

Submitted by torscot on

Enjoyed this cartographer tale

"love-writing" has already picked my favorite line.  " pale lemon lanes "

What an image. Throw the satnav out of the window and I suggest OS adopt the the colour with immediate effect.

torscot

Submitted by Pat G on

Thank you for the lovely comments.

Submitted by Deliberately Ev... on

This is beautiful and so true

The beat of your heart is the mellifluent rhythm to my soul.

Submitted by Pat G on

Thank you for reading my work. Really appreciated.