Sunday, November 8, 2009

The Old Barn.

Just down the road…around the bend,
Stands an old empty barn; nearing the end.
It has sheltered no animals for many years;
No dairy cows, no horses, no sheep, no steers.
The neigh of a horse; the low of a cow;
Those sounds have been absent for some time now.
There was a time when the loft was full of hay,
And the resounding laughter of children at play.
At one time the paint was a bold shade of red;
Gradually faded by weather and the sun overhead.
The doors swing in the wind…the hinges are loose;
Windows and siding have taken a lot of abuse.
The fork, rope and pulleys lifted hay to the mow;
A task that always brought sweat to the brow.
But those good days are gone; forever it seems,
And that old barn now stands with sagging beams.
It is now home to pigeons, rats and mice;
The interior is tattered and doesn’t look very nice.
Old, abandoned barns have become a trend,
Just down the road….around the bend.
~Vance Oliphant, c. 1999.

(Click to enlarge)

17 comments:

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Beautiful poem to go with the picture of the old barn, Jo.... I always wonder what happened in that barn years and years ago.
Hugs,
Betsy

L. D. said...

We have rescued a few in Iowa, but the majority are gone. I sense your loss before the barn around the bend is actually gone, but it is too bad it won't be saved. I hope it holds out for a few more years. Great blog.

Maria said...

All fits so nicely, photo and poem. Very enjoyable and different post. I loved it!

donna baker said...

I love to root around in old barn, though you have to look out for nails.

George said...

A great picture and a great poem! I like both.

Kipling said...

Here in rural Ireland we have many hundreds of old stone cottages that have been left to ruin. They were inhabited by countless generations up until the the famine. The owners either died, moved away, or went over seas. It is sad to see the reminders of their plight, but nature manages to reclaim in time what man neglects.

A Brit in Tennessee said...

Betsy, I always wonder what happened to the farmers and all the years spent toiling in the fields. The old homesteads neglected and sitting in disrepair.
I love old barns.

L.D. Yes, I think she may have a few more years left in her, In this part of the county, the landowners seem to do their best in keeping their barns intact. It looks like it is still being used, maybe just to store hay, and farm equipment, sadly no livestock.

Gaelikka: Thank you for visiting, and your kind comments. I popped on over to your blog, you live an interesting life !

Donna: My worst fear would be of snakes, however I'm sure they would be more scared of me ;)

George: Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed the poem, and the photo. You can click on it, and it really shows off the old lapboards.

A Brit in Tennessee said...

Kipling: Welcome, and thank you for stopping by ! Yes I have looked at those old stone cottages, many by the sea...crumbling in the elements of Mother Nature.
I would love to live in one of those, could even do with the loo being outside ;)
Generations of families' history and stories in those walls.Your correct, nature does seem to reclaim in the end.

Unknown said...

Great photo and poem, although bittersweet to see something that was once so majestic, crumble from lack of love.

DJan said...

When I first started reading I was quite impressed with your ability to rhyme. Then of course I saw that you found the poem somewhere to go along with the wonderful picture. You are graceful in your posts, an artist at work. Thanks for making on old wreck look so inviting.

Patsy said...

Sad to see, wish time could stand still. (SOMETIME)
Patsy

A Brit in Tennessee said...

Gaston Studio: Yes, "Bittersweet" you are so correct.

DJan: I took the photo yesterday on my travels in the countryside, but didn't write the poem. I may publish some of my poetry one day, I've not written any in recent years.

Benny and Patsy: Time standing still, I wish that could be....

Michelloui said...

I think this is the most beautiful blog I have seen in a long time. Wow, these photos are amazing! And if even some of these photos are taken around your home you're a lucky woman! I found you via ...mmm... always interested in other expats' blogs!

Sunny said...

Barns...near and dear to my heart. Lovely picture and perfect poem.
Sunny :)

Anonymous said...

Well, our family is now all alive and well (knock on wood) and I am back into the blogging world and visiting people's blogs. I enjoyed the picture you posted of the barn. I like seeing old barns. I think about what it's history may have been, who owned it, etc. It's nostalgic.

The Retired One said...

Fantastic picture of the old barn. I have never seen one with that overhang at the top...very unique!

Nan said...

It is so sad to see an old barn or house like this. Do you know this poem by Ted Kooser?

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/archive/poem.html?id=237648