A Dorset lad, just fifteen years
Loads double-gun for squire’s shoot.
Father’s battle-line of beaters
Crash through brush in wild pursuit
Of partridge in their coven. Flushed
To flight on whirring wings, muted
By cannonade, the boy’s cry, stepping out
Half-blinded by the shot.
Notes:
My great-grandfather was double gunner for the Charborough Estate shoot, Bere Regis (double gunner is a shotgun loader able to ready and pass the loaded gun and take and reload the empty shotgun before the firing of 2 rounds). Obviously he survived the injury.
Illustration – Bere Regis church where he was baptised and worshipped. – artist John Everett
Just 44 words for the Quadrille prompt: Flush
PoetryPix 
Close call…
Beautifully weaved! 🙂
an event that changed his life – and so mine!
Oh, I’m sure…
Nicely detailed event. I wasn’t sure how he was injured, but I am glad he survived.
end line – half-blinded by the shot!
Literally? Lost an eye?
actually eye sight
Half blinded? We need to know more! An interesting tale.
yes it involves leaving Dorset eventally for Central London and finding love 2nd time around
What a story, and so glad it did go well. Something in the way you tell the story made me think about “Out, out-” by Robert Frost… glad of a better ending.
thanks for the reference to the Frost poem – in turn reminds me of what happened to Johnny Cash’s young brother
The world of the wealthy hunter is a strange one. I’m glad he survived. (K)
it was the social order of things then – and not far from it still
Lovely piece Laura – this tragic (and probably typical) story. So like how you’ve captured the action – with the line break ‘Flushed / To flight on whirring wings…’ I’m guessing there’s more writing from this story to come? And wonderful painting.
I’m not sure about any continuations Peter but thank you for your appreciation.
p.s. Had not known much about this Dorset artist til I wrote this – he became renowned as a seascape artist and I must go and see the artwork he left to the nation at Greenwich
wow. this is action packed 44-word poem! and that’s a clever use of the word prompt.
it was literally the first visualisation that emerged with the prompt so stuck with it
ah! brilliant!
A very descriptive story packed into 44 words and I especially like the the phrase….” Flushed
To flight on whirring wings”.
thanks for the prompt Mish