The Puzzles’ Enigma

By Rhiannonw

Tue, 23 Apr 2019
  • 1975 reads
6 comments
 

Walking along Hergest ridge,
comfortable, spongy turf,
burbling melodies pour down
from skylarks unseen,
high in the blue;
enjoying the freedom of
a wide and spacious view –
surrounding hills,
paling in the distance,
– heat haze –
and at the highest point the surprise
of the nine planted
monkey puzzles,
now grown strong and stately,
no longer cordoned off,
graceful lower drooping branches
reach out
like octopus limbs –
to stagger around the old racecourse?!

Certificate U
Poem
Countryside explorations
Humour
Nature
Autobiography

Comments

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

What a sight to behold Rhiannon,

I love the idea of spongy turf, and the burbling melodies pouring down from skylarks unseen.

It must have been pure splendour to be up there with those magnificent views.

Very much enjoyed reading.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks, Yes, Jenny it was lovely to be up there with the spacious views, despite the heat haze - almost too hot for a while, but as the sun lowered it became more comfortable. Glad you enjoyed the sharing. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

monkey puzzles are like octopuses, had never realised, but you are right! And your "comfortable, spongy turf" I know grass like that too, it's beautiful :0) Did your grass have tiny yellow flowers in? i like how you make the skylark song liquid with burbling and pour, when everything else is still

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you, Di. No tiny yellow flowers yet – I think you probably are thinking of the pretty tormentil that comes soon. Yes, the lovely sound of the skylarks when there is little other sound or people around is so good to hear. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by hilary west on

Hi Rhiannon,

You capture that feeling of space and freedom with the bird getting a magnificent view. I loved the 'octopus limbs' of the branches of the monkey puzzle.

Hilary    yes

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you, Hilarysmiley! Yes, it is a sort of 'bird's eye view' for us on a ridge like that, and that sense of space and freedom. Those Monkey Puzzles are quite a surprise up there, and they had grown a lot since we were last there, hence the likeness now to octopus limbs! Rhiannon