Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Barn Charm, dVerse - "The Battlefield at Hoskin's Farm", Haiku Wednesday, Poetry Jam "The Ocean"


My Poem for Sensational Haiku Wednesday and another for Poetry Jam are at the bottom of this post

Tannenbaum Historical Park is located in Greensboro, NC and is the site of Joseph Hoskins farm settled as early as 1781.  Hoskin's Pennsylvania farm (near Valley Forge) and family had been devastated by the Revolutionary War.  He relocated his family to a remote area in North Carolina and cleared the land for harvesting crops and warded off occasional threats from the Cherokee.  By 1781 he had 150 acres with fields, gardens and split rail zigzag fences. It was a foggy morning and I think it lends a bit of nostalgia to the photos which is appropriate for this setting.


This peace was disturbed by the American and British armies as they swept through and eventually engaged in direct battle Haskin's farmland - he just couldn't get away from the fighting! The above foreground building is a relocated tobacco barn and is set up as an early American kitchen.  The photo below is the Hoskin's house constructed between 1811-1813 and it was lived in until 1925.


Joseph Hoskins bought his 150-acre farmstead for £200 “Current money of the State of North Carolina” in May 1778. Not much is known about the property and how it was utilized after Hoskins purchased it, but his will indicates some of the activities that took place on the farm.

When Hoskins died in 1799, he left three horses, two cows, five head of sheep, 250 acres, and a variety of personal and household items to his wife Hannah and to his four sons and four daughters. To his wife he gave the “use and profits of the plantation whereon I now live,” but instructed her “not to sell or dispose of the timber except what is necessary for the use of the hous and plantation.” Choosing not to name a specific heir, Hoskins left all the “farming utentials” for the general good of the plantation.  

(I grabbed the above two paragraphs from HERE.)


Today, people walk and jog along this and the Guilford Courthouse National Military Park which are connected.


These barn images, specifically the last one, are for "Barn Charm #69".  This is called a double pen barn.







* * * * *
Below is my poem for "Imaginary Garden with Real Toads - Personal Challenge 7"  If you want the details, please click on link.  Basically a series of haiku, (no less than 3, no more than 7) These are not traditional haiku, I'm sure, but I tried to hint at a season in all but one as I think that element is supposed to be there... I'm not sure.  These "haiku", I'm sure, are non-traditional.  I don't think one is supposed to put a title to a Haiku either, but I did ;)

I also linked the poem up with "dVerse - Open Link Night"

The Battlefield at Hoskin's Farm


Flaming  chokeberry
reminiscent of spilt blood
of life, sacrificed


Silent sounds linger
float, upon thick morning's mist
of life, hovering


Milking seats, wheels, troughs
idle, harvesting cobwebs
of life, remembered


Light of faith, guiding
our presence out of darkness
along forebear's path

by Margaret Bednar, Art Happens 365, January 24, 2012

The last Haiku is specifically linked to "Sensational Haiku Wednesday" and I hope it makes sense in this series of related Haiku's.  The prompt is "Silhouette" and I hope I can allude to the word and not have to use it.  This photo was taken at the Tannenbaum Historical Park over a year ago, but the sense of history, the sense of those who have come before certainly are felt here, at least by me.   

And the following image and poem are for Poetry Jam - topic this week - sensual poems AND Mr. Know-it-All's "Friday Flash 55" - a non-fiction story in 55 words, no more, no less (I will link up Thursday after 8pm)


The Ocean

Sinewy arms, pail laden
I sleepwalk towards the barn.
Nature's morning breath
inhaled,
moistly kissing me awake

from a dream
I'm unwilling to release...

   like sandpaper
   against my flesh
   his memory,
   passion aroused,
   long buried
   endearments
   tickle my ear,
   needs whispered,
   upon my tongue
   his saltiness...

a single tear
escapes

joining an ocean of regret.

by Margaret Bednar, Art Happens 365, January 25, 2012

57 comments:

TexWisGirl said...

oh, this is wonderful! i LOVE the rail fence, but that barn DEFINITELY holds its own against it! wow!

Tanya Breese said...

oh i love everything about this whole post, the history and the photos, perfect!

izzy said...

I love old barns-any way, shape, etc.
thanks for the pictures! Double pen barn is a cool concept- was it animals vs. tools ?

Margaret said...

Izzy, one side did have a hay trough. I will have to ask one day on a weekend when they are staffed at the office. Good question.

Anonymous said...

Right off the bat, I saw the fence... love those fences! The fog definitely adds to the mystery & historic significance of the place! Don't you love the stone foundation & fireplace? Just gorgeous! I love the double pen barn with the open space in the middle, that's so neat!
Thank you for the array of different views of the property...
Fantabulous post, Margaret, I love history & reading about this place!!!

Thanks so much for joining this week's Barn Charm =)

Lesley said...

The size of those logs on the barn! Very impressive!

ann @ studiohyde said...

Wow, what a brilliant place, I love it.

Rose said...

I would love to visit this place...wonderful photos.

Dom said...

The mood in these photos is great!

Fireblossom said...

Wow, your photography is just exceptional, Margaret. You have such a feel for older buildings and rural scenes, especially. I'm very impressed!

Pssst...the Personal Challenges at IGWRT, are one-person challenges, not general prompts. Having just arrived, you would not know that! They generally run on Tuesdays.

Elizabeth Edwards said...

lovely shots. thanks, for sharing at Bluff Area Daily. you have some great talent. (:

Brian Miller said...

nice...your first haiku captures much truth...a lot of sacrifice was made for the old homesteads...just watche the Laura Ingalls movie the other night with my wife...lovely pics margaret....

Anonymous said...

If this was Facebook you'd get a Like. Your photos awesome, the poems Lovely and informational all rolled up in a creative blog as this.

Debbie said...

a really gorgeous group of pictures!! love the fog, love the fence....there is so much to look at here!!

Millie said...

Looking at your beautiful pictures makes me want to grab my camera and wander the country. Beautiful barn shots and the fence is amazing!

Teresa said...

Love the haiku! They fit the setting perfectly.

Scarlet said...

See what the personal challenge has done to you...you made a haiku set. Ha..ha.. Your pictures are beautiful and so are your haiku. I like all of them.

Great to have you at RT ~

Margaret said...

Heaven.... I thought it was a challenge prompt for ALL. Oh well, it was fun. :)

hedgewitch said...

Whatever prompt you wrote these for, they are great stand alone micropoems, and the photography is just so intimate and breathtakingly real, I feel I'm standing next to you as you shoot. Really enjoyed these, Margaret, and thanks for linking with us tonight.

G-Man said...

Margaret Bednar...
Jenn usually posts her prompt at Midnight, give or take about 10 minutes. Linking up in the AM is OK!
Your pics were Fantastic
You Haiku Trio was Outstanding
You My Friend are a Peach!!!

Ginny Brannan said...

Margaret, your haikus are wonderful and very befitting of your breathtaking photography. So glad you shared!

Saun said...

Wow,nice series and poem, love the fence and barn.

Laurie Kolp said...

Margaret- Your photos are poems in and of themselves. I love this! My internet's been down, or I would have posted to your feature at Real Toads. Now I'm just trying to catch up.

Abin Chakraborty said...

lovely pictures and equally wonderful poems.such range of thoughts with such economy of words requires a lot of discipline.

Mary said...

Beautiful haiku, beautiful photographs.

Lolamouse said...

Your photos are just so beautiful. I love old barns. We have a lot of old tobacco barns here in Southern MD. Your haiku are lovely as well-you were quite ambitious!

Tara Tyler said...

your images conjure a hustle and bustle of older times (without annoying electronics) and your words stimulate peace! lovely!

Kerry O'Connor said...

Each haiku is the perfect accompaniment to its photographic inspiration. I think it is great that you were inspired to write haiku after reading Shawnacy's feature on Real Toads.

Reena said...

A wonderful series and I love that rail fence and the wheel sitting against the building.

Margaret said...

I'm out the door to enjoy my horses on this 55 degree sunny WINTER day! I will swing around later tonight to visit "ya'll" (you all) ha! I love the southern winters!

Sheila said...

beautiful photography and I love the message of faith in your poem.

Karen said...

A terrific array of haiku!

Mary B. Mansfield said...

The photographs and the poetry are both exquisite!

Carrie Van Horn said...

Beautiful photography accents the breathtaking poem at the end!!

Maude Lynn said...

These pictures are absolutely stunning, Margaret!

carol l mckenna said...

Nuff said! Wow! Excellent photography and haiku ~ linked w/Sensation Haiku ~ namaste, Carol (A Creative Harbor)

Claudia said...

always enjoying your photography and love how you weave them together with your words margaret..

Manicddaily said...

Margaret--oh my goodness, your photographs are just so beautiful. Their precise detail and yet soft light is really lovely. Color, texture--wonderful. Poems too; I liked last especially--sand paper, tears. K.

Ria said...

Great poetry! Awesome photography!

Lady Nyo said...

The pictures are startlingly beautiful, intimate. Lovely!

The haiku? Well, I think haiku can develop....sure haiku wasn't titled, or even punctuated but why not? I think these are lovely, lovely, lovely. You did a great, evocative job with these.

I was raised on a pre-Revolutionary farmstead in NJ, from the 50's to the 90's and then my father died...and it was sold. The life was very hard, and Geo. Washington watered his troops horses at our spring, it was told...we were 3 miles from Rocky Hill/Princeton, where he had his headquarters during part of the war.

Thank you for this...and the memories.

Lady Nyo

Margaret said...

Thank you, everyone. I do love photography and I am so glad these images are being enjoyed!

Lady Nyo - haiku is not as easy as it looks, especially "traditional" haiku. But at Haiku Wednesday, we are given the opportunity to "flaunt" the rules :) The NJ farm sounds like a wonderful place to have been raised.

Susie Clevenger said...

Your photographs are incredible..each one has its own voice...and your haiku..they tell a whole story in 17 syllables.

Ginny Brannan said...

Commented on the Haiku and amazing photography yesterday. Back to comment on the poem, "The Ocean"--I loved this Margaret. You have captured that 'don't really want to wake up and lose the dream' state of being so well. Left me feeling a bit sad for the 'ocean of regret' at the end. A beautiful piece well written!

Scarlet said...

Passing by to comment on the Ocean...beautiful tears of regret...such is life ~

James Rainsford said...

Amazing photographs Margaret. Both your images and words are a true inspiration. Thank you for sharing and for visiting my blog. Kind regards, James.

Daydreamertoo said...

Beautiful. Sad to lose love, no matter what the reason is. Lovely piece.
Your photography is stunning!
I have tried so many times to click onto your name when you have left me a comment and each time it takes me to an advert asking for my email address. I tried to just use your name and not the 365 part but the same thing happened. The only way I could get here this morning was by seeing your name on someone else's blog and clicked on it from there and finally!! Got to your blog! LOL
It's a lovely blog too by the way. :)

Doctor FTSE said...

Well worked out Margaret. Thank you.

Lucy Westenra said...

Great pictures, and oh, those haiku!

Christine said...

lovely photo's, I think I have a tear or two in that ocean you speak of

Ginnie Hart said...

It's like another world...where I could easily live!

Linda Bob Grifins Korbetis Hall said...

rich and dreamy entry.

Carole said...

I enjoy visiting places with such history. Wonderful photos. :-)

Noteworthy Musings

my heart's love songs said...

oooooooh! i LOVE "The Ocean" ~ most of us have an ocean of regret, don't you think? of things we did and things we didn't do, but wish we had. i really love your poetry, Margaret, and your photography is stunning, too!

thank you for jamming with us this week at Poetry Jam.

dani ♥
my heart's love songs

Jenn @ Youknow...that Blog? said...

Looks like a wonderful place to visit! Such a depth of feeling in all of this, and your haiku works just fine. Thanks for joining us at Sensational Haiku Wednesday :)

Brian Miller said...

delicious little verse for the jam...natures morning breath i am sure is a whole lot more sensual than mine...smiles....nice twist of the feelings in this one...

becca givens said...

Margaret - stunning photo essay!!

Nancy said...

Your photography is truly amazing. I'm a follower now.