Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE SUNFISH LAKE ROAD, by BEATRICE MARY BILLING


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE SUNFISH LAKE ROAD, by                    
First Line: The long road lures me and I leave the town
Last Line: And pale spires pierce the blue of evening sky.
Subject(s): Roads; Paths; Trails


The long road lures me and I leave the town
To walk far out this golden afternoon.
I leave the towering city spires behind,
But humbler glories feast the seeing eye.
A quiet farmhouse here; there, orchards bend
Beneath the weight of fruit. Along the road
Are scattered apples blown from laden trees.
Here is a tiny valley with a stream
That twists its way among the flaming trees,
Smoke rises from a farmyard -- burning leaves,
Autumn's peculiar fragrance, holding all
The memories of autumns past and gone
As lilacs hold the essence of all springs.
A small pond framed by willows in the curve
Below the hill holds in its tranquil depths
All of the peace of this still countryside.
A bird sings loudly. Does he think it's spring?
Again, again, peals forth the triolet!
Yes, there he is, upon the topmost bough
Of that old tree whose leaves are almost gone.
And now I pass by fields whose piled up corn
Heaped in great shocks recalls the early days
When Indians roamed. Yes, Indian summer this,
And even now, while the sun slowly sinks
A thin, pale moon is clearly visible
Above the corn. A cross-road here,
"Blue Gentian Road", leads to a tiny town
Where, perched upon a hill, the village church
Gleams in the sunset. And an evening bell
Sounds softly through the valley. Afternoon
Is slipping into dusk.

Homeward again ...
To where the city blooms with twinkling lights,
And pale spires pierce the blue of evening sky.





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