Ballard
a gentle town named Ballard.
It’s Five AM, late August, and I am off
to a weekend outside Santa Barbara,
to an amber jewel,
It sits quietly outside time, nestled
somewhere in-between phone calls and eternity
where tufts of green dot slow curves,
with gentle hills as tawny breasts
of chestnut tan and russet colored grasses.
Auburn tinged brush strokes paint
whispers of leather, lace and a slower pace.
The grey slide of sky hovers above
a morning fog, drifts amid a warming
soil and sentry’d verdant rows intoxicating
the earth where people of the soil sing of
sorrel, sepia and oak. Aromas of sage and
lavender satiate the senses; cleansing.
With each inhalation, sighs release.
The earth is thin here, Sedona thin.
Light dances in this space, sideways,
amid the painted cottonwood always
changing, turning; compliant and night
arrives only after the shadows
grow sky-echoes; reds of Pinot and Syrah.
The stars gather reverently above,
arching in a brilliant canopy of
shimmering joy in praise of their Creator.
Life, from this sideways view, refocuses,
centers itself; down, eases softly upon
the mind and heart. Restfulness found
in this pleasant stillness; a plumb-line
for the soul as each moment passes
without regard for the next in peaceful,
silent, salient sips of awareness.
~r.
All rights reserved,
© August, 2006 R. Braley
(astralshepherd)
Author notes
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballard%2C_California
The latitude of Ballard is 34.635N. The longitude is -120.112W. Elevation is 682 feet.
Written August 29th, 2006
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1 - 9 of 9
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This read like a beautiful painting. As I kept reading, more details appeared on my mind's canvas. This felt like a hike in heaven, so serene and almost ethereal. I really enjoyed this write.
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This poem has a nice natural gentle flow. I definitely wasn't expecting all of the stuff between the first line and the ending statement. Your wording was excellent. I am glad I read it. Thanks for sharing. Keep up the great work. Best of wishes to you. good luck in all that you do....peace always in all ways. You rock....
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A fine poem, which makes us wish we were in Ballard. I agree with the other commenters who have praised this piece, and look forward to reading more of your poetry in the future.
Can I suggest any improvement? The positions of the line breaks seem arbitrary, as though you wrote it in prose and then simply chopped it up into lines of equal length.
You might consider using lines of unequal length with line breaks dictated by the text itself.
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wow i thought this was amazing loved the description and wish i could be there it sounds amazing and i thought the flow was good to
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Some of your lines in the second stanza seemed rather disjointed and curt and didn't flow well, one into the other, but that opening stanza had me at hello, and my love of the imagery reinvents itself in your final stanza as well. However, your page, for whatever reason, is making the use of this quick comment box a pain in the ass, because it's moving all over the page like a critic on crack. So, in closing, well done
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Very Good. This is a tranquil poem. I love how you describe the land it sounds beautiful and so peaceful. This poem is like a picture. Very beautifuly done! Bravo!!!
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A poem like enjoying an excellent red wine with thoughtful sips!
I love:
"The earth is thin here, Sedona thin.
Light dances in this space, sideways"
Beautiful!
Your words convey a deep sense of acceptance, peace and grateful enjoyment.
Very powerful!
Cheers!
Ferenc -
Wonderful imagery; a portrait painted with words. You have done an excellent job of describing, in detail, a mood.
"Restfulness found
in this pleasant stillness; a plumb-line
for the soul as each moment passes
without regard for the next in peaceful,
silent, salient sips of awareness."
Well done.
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Auburn tinged brush strokes paint
whispers of leather, lace and a slower pace
I love this.
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