What used to be in this window
That is now covered up by brick?
Was the view of the outside lawn?
Of a family on a picnic?
Perhaps there was a stone pathway
That working men would use en route.
Children would playfully dart by.
Parents following in pursuit.
That window let a flood of light
That would greatly brighten the room.
Why would someone cover it up?
To only fill the space with gloom?
What joy this window had given
Those who sat in its mighty stead.
But now the window is no more.
It’s once glorious gleam is dead.
Perhaps this bay wasn’t covered
All at once by mortar and clay.
One by one the red bricks appeared.
So gradual they capped the archway.
Unseen bricks so slowly appeared
Rising from bottom up to top.
Little by little the light dimmed.
The rising cover would not stop.
How many years more must go by
That this once joyous void is trapped?
Will the brick soon be taken down?
Or will the building first collapse?
This red-stone mask will hide the light
Til’ a changing effort is made.
Not one will make an endeavor.
Not one even sensed the light’s fade.
The stone cover has forfeited
Whatever view had once been seen.
The abolished view is no more.
Now extinct is that unknown scene.
Amazing!!
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I love it! I love all the guesswork and all the possibilities. And I love how you leave it vague, and open for the reader to envision what the window might have shown.
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A mystery for sure. Thanks for sharing!
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I really like the idea that you used here – that something small and ordinary has a rich past. Some of the rhythm feels a bit forced. I think you could strengthen it by establishing a syllabic count pattern to match your rhyme pattern of ababab. Then, get rid of unnecessary words to help achieve a great beat. For example, “where to work men would use en route” could be “working men used en route” to shorten it to the length of the previous “b” lines. Maybe cut out the “that” “be” etc. from other lines. But a beautiful homage to an everyday item and good photo!
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Love this, I appreciate authors of poetry (because I cannot write it). Truly wonderfully written!
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Thank you so much! I deeply appreciate this comment. 🙂
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You’re so welcome!! 🙂
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