The Morning Taunt
After James Wright's "Lying in a Hammock"
It says, “you wasted life.”
I see the new sun stretch below my bleariness;
a meadow vole skips by, darting home to sleep.
Fading into blazing rays,
ducklings sail in a paddling drift
under a wreath of low hanging oak.
Up the dewy field behind my shoulders,
to my left,
sheep are singing an inchoate melody
to the unrealized swiftness of their day.
So, yawning like a beer lid fresh opened,
drowsy in half-light,
I sit up as the morning clears
and sidles on.
* * *
Thank you for reading! This is part of a series of poetic emulations, where I take a poem I love and either write an answer, a continuation, or something new inspired by it.
If you like this one, you may also enjoy:
About the Creator
Mackenzie Davis
“When you are describing a shape, or sound, or tint, don’t state the matter plainly, but put it in a hint. And learn to look at all things with a sort of mental squint.” Lewis Carroll
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Copyright Mackenzie Davis.
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Comments (4)
I also love that you used the word "inchoate" and that you introduced my to that poem. Yours has a more toned and literary edge, but both capture something deeply akin, leisure Fantastic imagery and flow to it. I have a weird association with meadow voles though, my mom's dachshund was with us on a picnic when one was scampering by, and Oscar chomped it up in one bite... poor vole. :(
Oooo, inchoate! I learned a new word today! I loved your poem!
"yawning like a beer lid fresh opened" you genius
❤️😉