The Road and the Sky

Gold cherry

By catherine poarch

Fri, 05 Dec 2025
  • 547 reads
17 comments
 

The crow flew down to the top of the fence

and wiped its beak with a slow…snick…snack

Its feathers were perfect,

umbrella black.

What was it thinking, that wisely old crow?

The world went  thundering, hurtling by.

But his were the trees and his was the sky.

 

Stood on the corners of fairy circles,

traveller ponies were back in town,

with shaggy heads up

and shaggy heads down.

What were they watching, with conker brown eyes?

The world went by with its heavy load.

But theirs were the fields

and theirs was the road.

Certificate U
Poem
Miscellaneous

Comments

Submitted by insertponceyfre... on

So lovely to see another poem from you Catherine - thank you. Are you working on a new collection?

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Really enjoyed reading your poem Catherine. The Crow is always a great muse for a poet.

Thank you for sharing.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by catherine poarch on

Thank you both and for the cherries, very kind. No, not working on a collection. The last lot happened haphazardly. I've had three on the go but struggled to finish them. Working on and editing stories though. Hope you are both well? Keep warm. smiley

 

Submitted by airyfairy on

Beautiful, Catherine. I find last two lines of each verse so reassuring - the animals and the rest of nature have their own world and don't give a stuff for our concerns. I hope we can ensure that their world continues to belong to them.

Submitted by catherine poarch on

Thank you airyfairy, much appreciated. I always think that even though I've written lots of animal poems that there are people inside. I definitely long for that open road at times.smiley 

 

Submitted by Turlough on

The crows certainly know what they're at even if the rest of us don't.

What a lovely poem. It gave me a warm feeling on a cold evening.

Turlough

Submitted by celticman on

it doesn't matter so much the finishing, it's the starting and startlng that's needed. You captured the way. 

 

Submitted by catherine poarch on

Thank you, Turlough and Celticman. Much appreciated. Yes, maybe it's the travelling and not the arriving. And crows are certainly a double take kind of a bird.  I saw both that crow and the ponies from the top of the bus. The crow was on the fence with Stokes Croft (very busy) on one side and a wide building works going on on the other. He couldn't have been less bothered by any of it. 

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Fabulous Poet Catherine Poarch has a new poem, and it is Pick of the Day! Please do share if you can, it is brilliant!

Catherine, please change the image if you want to.

It is Carrion Crow by Mike Prince, on Wikimedia Commons, from from here
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/Carrion_Crow_%284925...

 

Submitted by catherine poarch on

Big surprise! Thank you, Di Hard. That's so kind. And no, I don't want to change the image, (even if I knew how!) Hope you're well and writing lots? smiley

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

You have a lovely knack with rhythm and simplicity, Catherine. And I think the poem catches a sense of get on with the life you've been given, and don't get fussed by the rush and noise and so-called glamour all around that is jutst distracting! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by catherine poarch on

Thank you, Rhiannon. Lovely comment. Yes, walk your own walk, think your own thoughts. Hope you're well.  yes 

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

I am glad you like the photo :0) Usually it is not so hard to move a photo onto a page, but this crow is a mischievous one (you can tell from that twinkly eye) and keeps disappearing if the link https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Carrion_Crow_(49259739243).jpg
is clicked, leaving only a blank page with the title :0)

It's so good to experience your vivid images and marvellous rhythm again. I hope those other poems you mentioned shape up soon!

 

Submitted by catherine poarch on

Thanks again, Di. Oh it must be the same crow! The King of Crows. smiley

 

Submitted by lenchenelf on

I've just realised my original comment didn't appear here, hence blank!

A lovely piece and much enjoyed

Best

Lx

 

Submitted by VeraClark on

A beautiful piece, Catherine.

 

Submitted by catherine poarch on

Thank you, Vera. Lovely to hear from you. smiley