Old Barn : photo/poem by kim

Posted by: kimthanh

This barn has such great character. Unfortunately, I was not able to get up close and personal to it. You see, it is in the middle of a housing development. Surrounded on three sides. The fourth side is their back pasture where they still keep cows. These cows are just on the other side of the fence, of my sister-in-law's new home.

I'm glad for them and their new house, I'm sad for the people who own the land with the barn. I hope they never sell their lot. It adds such character to the new urbanism that has invaded this place. What used to be a tranquil, country road, with country folk and country hearts.

I find such joy in the simple things of life. Finding a barn in the middle of suburbia is sad and yet quite ironic.

To coexist is to be willing to find a middle ground where one can enjoy the aroma of manure and green, green grass and the sounds of clanking hammers, as new homes are built up in no time. What a sad state of affairs. But it was eventually going to happen...but why my time?

How selfish of me to think such ways but that's because I'm a purist and a lover of the outdoors. And not with back to back housing developments.

So when I visit in Fresno, I will hopefully be able to enjoy the two clashing of the worlds for sometime to come. Hopefully the greedy will not push out or out buy the last patch of true green space, in the land of greater concrete.

Ode to my Abode:

Ode to my Abode
I see you green still today
I see you, my cows, chewing away

Ode to my Abode
The barbedwire fence is to keep the cows in
The rooster brings noisy life on the farm
And the simple buttercups sprinkled hither and tither
await for my grandchildren
picking and smelling and tesing who really likes butter more

Ode to my Abode
The ol' barn is rickety but firm
It's metal roofing aged with rain and weather
The stalls within are for warmth and cool spots
as the animals lay about

Ode to my Abode
The neighbors on the right are older
The neighbors on the left are younger
The neighbors in front have yet to move in
But still my abode is forever my home.

Ode to my Abode
May she remain until the day I die
May the greedy men kneel in repentance
May the heritage of my children and grandchildren
forever remain despite the surrounding of suburbia.

Ode to my Abode
The grass remains green on this side
The grass has been replaced with concreteon the
on the other side of my barbedwired fence
and my our cows always know where to turn to home
Where the grass will always be greener

Ode to my Abode
Forever for my kin
Akin to the ol' days
Where the future remained
no different than the past.

Ode to my Abode