A span of black, bristled oxen plough
an acre in a single day. We get acre.
They know how to draw, to give,
with sinews like ropes that you rub.
Standing near, musk fills your nostrils.
It rattles them, this closeness. We get startle.
Puabi’s Sumerian sledge held oxen first.
Truth begets difference begets us. We get them.
Yoked, they are humble; they bow their heads
at clank of metal, nod like elastic bands flexing.
Joining in with the ever amazing Tuesday Poem community. Oxen came to me, filled my days a while back. This poem hasn't been shared with anyone and has sat idly waiting (patiently) on paper. So I'm giving it a little air time. Hopefully it sings to you all!
There are two very impressive hub poems this week from Mary McCallum and Frankie McMillan - judges of the 2014 National Flash Fiction Day competition. Check them out here.
Small Marks
It's very quirky Elizabeth. I don't understand all the references but I find I can see the oxen and the way their breath fogs the air and the smell too....What faithful creatures they are od don't they have a choice? Thanks for sharing this.
ReplyDeleteHello Helen! Lovely to have you pop over and read my TP offering :) Traditionally, an 'acre' was the amount of land/space that was able to be tilled by a man with an ox in the span of one day, so that's where I started thinking about how these great animals have influenced/created these terms and ways of living for us. Also, Puabi in Sumeria was the first to harness oxen - to put them behind a sledge and get them to work. Anyway, little bit of background over, I am very pleased to hear you enjoyed the poem :)
DeleteHello Elizabeth. I just found my way to this poem and it is a most intriguing, read-again, sort of poem with such a lot packed in - enjoyed your unpacking for Helen above. And I also love the video clip of you turning the pages of a book further up in your tribute to Maya Angelau, who I have to admit I knew very little about until her recent death.
ReplyDeleteHi there Maggie - it's such a treat to have you read my oxen poem and Angelou & Gunn reading notes blog post! I like to throw one of my poems up on the blog for Tuesday Poem every so often - often works in progress and often with more than a bit of trepidation! - and it's so nice to have readers and get bits of feedback here and there :) I highly recommend Maya Angelou's autobiography - it is just incredible and so very humbling.
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