Thursday, February 9, 2017

"Walls"


Walls

Hadrian's Wall was built for war,
now weaves its way through cozy hamlets,
rolls past castles, forts, and Roman remnants,
along East River to the Irish Sea.

The other day I basked in winter's sun,
back against a wall, wind blocked,
secure, content as thawing limbs
frolicked upon its canvas.

Walls are built for protection,
and yet as late my mind keeps pondering
what it means for those who reside
on the other side.

by Margaret Bednar, February 9, 2017

I so would love to walk this path, along this wall some day...

This poem is linked with the challenge over at "Imaginary Garden with Real Toads - Music with Marian - Wall"



Hadrian's Wall - Timewatch by klidstone1970


13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great meditation, Margaret, making me wonder, too. Did the Britons see the wall as imperial blight? Did the Gauls see the walls of Rome as a challenge to their might? To the barbarians on the other side of the Great Wall of China, was their a certain freedom to those walls, so that civilization's weakness become thus bounded? Is a wall a challenge or a sane boundary? Seems to me the fear that becomes a wall becomes an armed phobia the taller the wall fails to achieve its ends ... but regardless, a fine poem. I'd love to spend time next to Hadrians' wall, too.

Marian said...

Yes, yes, I have been pondering that, too. This is lovely.
As an aside, a friend of mine just a couple months back walked the entire length of Hadrian's wall and was sharing stories and photos. Do it!

Sanaa Rizvi said...

Wonderfully meditative poem, Margaret. It makes me ponder and transports me to that era..!!

Anonymous said...

Definitely something worth pondering. Thanks for giving us this gift.

Jim said...

Just not quite the same as sitting against ones backyard fence. I was with you a bit, now wanting to be THERE. Antoine Wall as well, further north.
Thank you, Margaret
..

Kerry O'Connor said...

Ah, there's the rub.. in the final line.

Maude Lynn said...

Oh, I love that last stanza!

brudberg said...

And even worse... after a while we will all be on "the other side"

Anonymous said...

Marvelous, how you addressed this. An artist's point of view

kaykuala said...

Very good question in the last stanza, Marge! Acceptable for protection but segregation seemed the underlying factor in many instances!

Hank

Outlawyer said...

I would also love to do the hadrians wall walk! Lovely pic of your own wall and sense of warmth there. I was at Berlin Wall as a child-- recalled that with your last stanza. K.

purplepeninportland.com said...

I often wonder the same thing. Who is there, how do they live, and why can't I see them. Wonderful, thoughtful poem, Margaret.

Susie Clevenger said...

Yes, I wonder about life on the other side of a wall. Too often the view is blocked to our common ground.