October Poems 2024 >> the golden earth

A poem for each day of the month in which I was born

October 04
the golden earth

this island feasts upon the toils of men
in sweat-soaked denim slacks and khaki shirts,
who greet the dawn tide by the cattle pen,
arterial quests awaiting daylight flirts.

carbolic soap freshens the atmosphere,
black-coffee belches fouling it in turn,
with early swigs of intoxicant beer
hoarsing the palate with eye-blinking burn.

the golden earth plays havoc with their hands,
blisters and bruises humouring their touch;
for wind and weather make their own demands
where will and way can do only so much.

occasion brings a whistle or a song,
where conversation is not entertained;
for private thoughts stir deep the mad zugzwang
of options often peppered and bloodstained.

and yet, the rule of liberty and law
makes muckle out of mickle in the end
for when, at close of day, the yield they draw,
their gain is more than one can comprehend.

© Copyright 2024 October 03
by Clyve A. Bowen♫