Maggie Babb is a working poet and prose writer with an interest in Investigative and Documentary Poetics. She is a member of the Hollowdeck Writers Guild in Maryland, USA. She lives with her African Grey parrot and German Shepherd.
Echo Farm
At the stove braising ribs stands a mother.
Evening light straddles the barn.
Across grazed fields the girl rides her pony
choosing to wait under the trees
for her trusted confidant, the moon.
Around her play the elementals.
They come in different shapes, these elementals
imperceptible to the mother
who denies her connection to the moon
and seldom ventures into the barn
or wanders out under the trees
where stands the trusty little pony.
This little dappled grey pony
is envoy to the elementals
who live among the trees
unacknowledged by the mother.
A sanctuary masquerading as a barn
waits ready under the cold moon.
In all her rich fullness the moon,
protector to the child and pony,
conducts lessons in the barn
under the gaze of the elementals
standing between child and mother
guarded all around by trees.
Deep rooted and wise, the trees
oak, pine, hemlock, apple, serve the moon.
Unnoticed, they minister to the mother
who allows the child to have the pony
prearranged by the elementals
under the cover of the barn.
The old stone and timbered barn
still stands among the trees
tended by the elementals
and the waning, worm moon.
Long gone is the pony
and the fretful, absent mother.
The moon reflects the memory of the pony.
The absolved mother sleeps under the trees
while the elementals watch over the barn.
upon leaving Welcome Home Farm
another morning dawns clear and bright
the songs of nuthatch, wren and bluebird thrill
my heart joins the songs that break the night
how can I say farewell and stay upright?
tell me! I beg the nodding daffodil
another morning dawns clear and bright
across the farm the mist gives way to light
and in me leaps a joy that rolls and rills
my heart joins the songs that break the night
from ice and snow to summer’s deep delight
every season serves from bog to hill
another morning dawns clear and bright
countless gifts flow in, my heart ignites
as this chapter closes with goodwill
my heart joins the songs that break the night
with gratitude and grace I’ll shift my sight
and now I’ll say good-bye with angels’ skill
another morning dawns clear and bright
my heart joins the songs that wake the night