Born on an island in '63
four milk skinned sisters, and then me
dark haired, coarse and curly
with eyes, an unexpected blue, steely
as the Irish sea.

They say my father left that way
a mendacious, itinerant runaway
but I know he's lying nearer than that
when mother takes his grey felt hat
and resurrects an effigy

On wooden cruciform support
serge coat and trousers wedged with straw
according to an ancient lore
Arms asunder, crucifixed
he flails with the wind in our arable fields 
upstarting birds that come to thieve seeds

38 thoughts on “Trulie”

1. This rings almost true to me… I love the scarecrow in the end…

   1. bound to have some truth!

2. I love your poem as it is, without trying to work out the lies from the truth, Laura. I love the phrase eyes of ‘an unexpected blue, steely as the Irish sea’. My daughter’s father was ‘a mendacious, itinerant runaway’, and he would have made  a great scarecrow.

   1. thank you Kim – just for appreciating this poem and the fit ending for the likes of. such fathers!

      1. My pleasure, Laura.

3. Hmm, the authorities better start digging.

   1. but where to begin.

4. Ah…me thinks this scarecrow is an effigy!

   1. indeed

5. Irish sea indeed…a whole novel on those few lines….love the tone, too, really the feeling of a yarn..

   1. thank you Ain – Trulie rather rushed

6. This reads like a song, perhaps designed as a bit of distraction.😉

   1. a touch of the blarney Melissa – thanks for the prompt

7. nice one Laura

   much♡love

   1. 🙏

8. I believe the first verse but think there’s some truth in all of it…enjoyed your tale, Laura.

   1. I could agree but then I might not be telling the truth – thank you Lynn

9. Laura, this made me laugh!

   1. thank you – that pleases me no end since so much of my poetry tends towards the serious

10. Very well done, Laura.

    1. thank you – rather sketchy and that’s the truth

       1. The power is what’s there and not wasn’t isn’t.

          1. a nice way of looking at it x

11. There’s a larger tale underneath these words…and always some truth in the lies. (K)

    1. a grain or grains perhaps 😉

12. perverse, in a delicious way! ❤

    1. yes I was surprised where this one went!

13. Laura, this poem blends memory and myth with haunting, vivid details.

    ~David

    1. thank you David – I’m not the best of liars though

14. Only the writer knows what is true and what is a lie but it was a great yarn expertly spun.

    1. thank you – it spun itself out and surprised the poet!

       1. I have to learn to surprise myself.
          You are very welcome, Laura.

15. That was awesome, Laura!

    Yvette M Calleiro 🙂

    1. thank you

16. Whether the truth overt or not (and I’m thinking it is more a touchstone) this is a wonderful poem, love the images and where they take me.

    1. many thanks for your appreciation Paul

17. how clever, Laura. The title: Trulie. I love it. And all the rest too. Those arms on the puppet that scares away his kind. Haha. I love that. A lovely read. Thank you.

    1. thank you for Selma and especially for noticing the title!

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