I See Bones

By Richard L. Provencher

Fri, 08 Feb 2019
  • 1989 reads
10 comments
 

When I see pastures

I see bones – of settlers

and families once

occupying this land – with

sweat through toil

where potatoes and corn

and vegetables grew

in abundance.

 

Where horses pulled

wagons filled with produce

and children learned

the ways of early times

when towns grew

with families gathered

from afar.

 

Yes those times were

filled with strife and worry

when weather held

back the rain or there

was too much. But families

stuck together and

children grew strong

learning to do their share.

 

 

Certificate U
Poem
Words that Matter
Historical Fiction

Comments

Submitted by Richard L. Prov... on

 

Richard L. Provencher

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

I liked the last sentence, especially! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Richard L. Prov... on

Thank you, R, for your great comment. R. I had fun writing this one. It is in honour of my granddad, Adelard Provencher Sr. who farmed with wife, my grandma Irene, and their six sons in Temascamingue, Quebec.

Richard L. Provencher

Submitted by Richard L. Prov... on

 

Richard L. Provencher

Submitted by Richard L. Prov... on

 

Richard L. Provencher

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi Richard, you describe the positive and negatives of the past in this piece. Working on the land must have been back breaking and soul destroying if the harvest was not good. But back in those days people would have pulled together and rallied round which must have helped. 

I wonder what these people would think of the world today! 

A meaningful piece of writing.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by Richard L. Prov... on

I thank you again, Jenny, for your wonderful encouragement.ice i Have a great day -- we are enduring another ice-rain-storm and another on the way Wednesday. ps. if people would rest from their ipads, etc. they would discover a whole new world, eh?

Richard L. Provencher

Submitted by Nolan on

Yes Richard! William Blake said it two centuries ago: Drive your cart and your plow over the bones of the dead. So as to say the show must go on, life is for the living.

& Nolan

 

Submitted by Richard L. Prov... on

Thanks for your comment. Actually the image I had was of one homestead my wife and I visited on the outskirts of Westville, Nova Scotia. A reclaimed land by nature still had a family collection of headstones a hundred years old. Several were of young children eight and ten yrs. who lay beside their parents and other loved ones. Yes, life is for the living and we have a duty to do our best in life, otherwise what is the point of life? I read the other day, a young man was sueing his parents fof bringing him into the world -- so sad he has these kinds of thoughts.  

Richard L. Provencher

Submitted by Richard L. Prov... on

Thanks for your comment. Actually the image I had was of one homestead my wife and I visited on the outskirts of Westville, Nova Scotia. A reclaimed land by nature still had a family collection of headstones a hundred years old. Several were of young children eight and ten yrs. who lay beside their parents and other loved ones. Yes, life is for the living and we have a duty to do our best in life, otherwise what is the point of life? I read the other day, a young man was sueing his parents fof bringing him into the world -- so sad he has these kinds of thoughts.  

Richard L. Provencher