Crackle-Barrel Oracle
by Odin odin@aflx.com — Read all 3,869 poems by Odin odin@aflx.com
There are so many inordinate ways history repeats itself. Yet, so often, we are unwilling to accept the inevitability of the past needing to retell our lessons until we get them.
Saturday, December 6, 2014
Cracker-Barrel Oracle
by Odin Roark
The whittler
Atop the rickety steps,
Shavings piled at ancient feet,
Eyes the blade
Needing attention soon.
The canine,
Head lifted from paws,
Yawns,
Eyes open
Watching chips fall…
Wondering.
Dust swirls gritty remembrance,
Tumbleweeds careen,
History’s weathered saloon sign dangles,
Jailhouse door swings aimlessly,
Both hinged with rust of reborn pasts.
Wind stops.
Gritty remembrances pause.
Silence merges
With airborne carvings
Amidst ghost-like sighs.
Eroded stick now but a sliver
Awaits to discover its purpose
As whetstone awaits the blade.
A foreshadowing gust turns time’s page,
Beckoning next chapter’s revealing.
Prophetic air anxiously anticipates,
As carver laments
Yesterday’s memory
Today’s forever cycle.
A mutt’s whine suggests acceptance.
Few hear the silence or the quiet whimper.
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Just like the boom towns of the turn of the last century created by rich despots, we are about to repeat history and bring the captains of industry down to earth once more. What will be the ghost towns of the future? Only the carver knows and only the canine acknowledges like he always does. The answer lies in the box of chocolates. Or is it, the cookie jar. There are no cracker barrels left except by the sides of the interstate highways, selling nostalgia.
Ron
"Eroded stick now but a sliver
Awaits to discover its purpose
As whetstone awaits the blade."
The subtext in this stanza speaks volumes to me; not only about each individual but also about this once great nation struggling to discover its purpose once again and get its edge back. Alas. Love the layers of meaning in this. Sadly most readers will never see it. Your work, Odin, remains vibrant, insightful, and on the edge of poetic cognizance. Enjoyed.
All the best to you...
Mutts are very wise. And your photo looks just like one of my wise old mutts named Tater.