Newcomer
I didn’t like
the look of him
and in the heat
of the moment
took a stick
and broke it
into two pieces
over his head.
He fell down
but only into
a sitting position.
He picked up
the pieces of stick
which somehow
fused back together
in his hands.
He planted the stick
in the ground
where he sat.
To my surprise
it sprouted branches
leaves and flowers
providing him with
a shady arbour.
He motioned me over
and feeling chastened
I joined him under
the spreading tree.
A conversation ensued
as we sat together
out of the glare
of the midday sun.
I really like the surprises in this poem, and especially like stanzas 1 & 2. Stanzas 3 & 4 turn a little more prosaic and I wondered what you thought about trimming them here and there?
I like the short lines, unexpected nature of the poem and the humour of the first two stanzas. I agree with Robbie – if you made the last two stanzas equally as unexpected it would be brilliant.
Hi Robbie & Di – I’m interested that you both had the same reaction to the 2nd & 3rd stanzas. I wanted to contrast the violent reaction to the arrival of the newcomer/immigrant in the 1st two stanzas with the appreciation of the efforts of the newcomer to settle and the reconciliation between the parties in the last two stanzas (the reference to coming out of “the midday sun” marking the necessary change in attitude of the Englishman following the fall of the Empire!).
Not sure that the final stanza nails that, Jonathan. ‘Feeling chastened’ is a bit telling and ‘A conversation ensued’ is a bit prosaic…