“White elder blossom and dog roses hung in the hedges, blank as unwritten paper, and the hot empty road reflected Sunday’s waste and indifference. High sulky summer sucked me towards it”
Laurie Lee ~ As I walked out one Midsummer Morning
I hastened ahead in high exuberance
where an unwritten track left a tired Sunday street
hedgerows infused with flower dispensed a nosegay nuance
wild sighing roses cast petals in the heat
summer birds offering up melliferous melodies
unruffled by our fitful footsteps' rise and falls
that tapping of your stick discharging dignity
those surreptitious rests in scrutiny of dry stone walls
though omens of ageing waste were unalloyed
half blind I strode, indifferent to the closing episode
now all these byways spread out blank and unemployed
my travels must peruse the unescorted road
My poetics challenge ”Literary Alchemy with Laurie Lee” – converting his prose to a poem of one’s own, though under the influence of Lee as poet.
PoetryPix 
I really love the description of walking that country road.. the use of adjectives are really excellent, the wild sighing roses casting petals…
many thanks Bjorn – with your comment I see how I picked up on Lee’s own walking the road
Those hedgerows infused with flower are very Laurie Lee. I’m afraid I forgot all about trying to use his style in the effort to get a quatrain out of it.
I think you used his style so well – you must have been infused without knowing!
I’m infused with haymaking! The man came today to mow. Now that I live in a meadow and have to watch ‘my’ meadow flowers cut, my animals left without a home, bees, grasshoppers, birds with not much left to eat, I see it in a different light— a cataclysm!
that is what comes through in your poem which makes it read so redolently
I’m pleased you think so 🙂
A wonderful illustration for the prompt…I like your line /half blind I strode, indifferent to the closing episode. Reading your examples of Lee’s work, i found no quatrains, but I did tune in to his sense of style. I went with #1 example.
many thanks for your kind words – glad you joined the prompt and tuned into LL (I think he moved away from quatrains)
“hedgerows infused with flower dispensed a nosegay nuance” is such a beautiful line. The last stanza is amazing, how you put it together, and heartrending.
that was the hardest line of all so I really appreciate your appreciation!
🙂
That last stanza made my heart ache. The header image at first sight so benign – a bend in the road – but an ‘unescorted road’.
thank you for your understanding Tish – yes this poem took a different turn and I followed where it took me – back to what is evidently still quite raw so that summer beauty is especially poignant
An exhurberant stroll with you, Laura, but sad when “progress” destroys natural beauty of remote roads.
indeed!
Sumptuous lines.
thank you for your appreciation
Well deserved.
This is a beautiful challenge and response Laura, thank you. I love walking through that unescorted road and specially the sounds of this part:
summer birds offering up melliferous melodies
unruffled by our fitful footsteps’ rise and falls
thanks Grace – could not resist that opening of LL’s though for all the beauty and sounds it lead eventually to the lonesome road
You have filled in those blanks beautifully. (K)
many thanks
Beautiful but sad especially now you are unescorted on your walks.
thank you for noticing!
Gorgeous.
❤
You’ve not only managed it beautifully, you’ve made the personal universal. We cal all feel it.
that is reassuring too Rosemary as poems are not just solipsisms so thank you
“hedgerows infused with flower dispensed a nosegay nuance”…Aah…the beauty of it ! I walked side by side with you. Thank you for taking us there. The close is deeply moving and there’s a sense of inviting freedom there. Beautiful.
there is a permanence to the road against the impermanence of companions – I like how you also saw freedom here
Oh, well done, Laura! I especially love the impact of your closing line.
many thanks Sherry
Beautiful poem with great images. Loved the last stanza
thank you Marja – not a happy ending but neither its opposite – the road is such a good metaphor
My goodness this is good! ❤️ Especially love; “wild sighing roses cast petals in the heat.” 😀
thank you Sanaa – that came automatically as its how I see the Briar roses 🙂
your imagery is so superb – I feel as though I am right beside you.
thanks for walking here!
Your imagery placed me on that country road! Well done! 🙂
many thanks Frank
My pleasure, Laura! 🙂