Bent sideways on his bedroom bench
the way a tree gives permanence to prevailing winds
backpack pillowed beneath blanket disguise
on the verge of last night's puddles, tiptoes anchored
a rough sleeper ready set to go

18 thoughts on “Benchland”

1. Beautiful: poem, photograph and treatment.

   1. thank you John and for finding me in poetry blogland too

2. Nice sound such as the alliteration in the first line and the similar sound between bench and permanence. It reminds me of someone I’ve seen homeless on the street although you might have had some other meaning.

   1. nice comment Frank – bench and impermanence too. A rough sleeper seen recently

3. “the way a tree gives permanence to prevailing winds” I love the tree

   1. It’s very huggable though textured ? Cork tree

4. I feel like that sleeper some mornings too… like the ties to that tree.

5. I give thanks for my bed!

6. i imagined being bent by sleep like the tree was to prevailing winds, a very interesting thought. i so enjoyed the flow of your words describing the tree and the sleeper, both had relinquished themselves to an outside influence.

   1. interesting comment – I see more contrast now too between rough sleeper and tree

7. Very visual.

   1. thanks for that Rosemary – I have just that one impression I tried to relay in words

8. Brevity did not take away from the depth of this unique piece. My interpretation is of recent events but I could be way off.

   1. the brevity speaks of the passing glance – it was just right here though I found it difficult to keep it short

9. I love the analogy between the tree and the sleeper. Nice work, Laura.

   1. thanks Sarah – physically similar but contrast of rooted vs uprootedness!

10. What a beautiful post, both poem and photo, Laura! 🙂

    1. ah thank you Amy

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