The Old Barn

click to enlarge

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.