August 2017
I am the author of seven poetry books. I have poems featured in numerous worldwide publications , including Prairie Poetry, The Heron’s Nest, Poems Niederngasse, Newtopia, and Barefoot Review. My hobbies are golf, reading whatever book happens to catch my eye, and gardening. I currently reside in Topeka, Kansas.
Straight as a String
The pencil rests
between two fingers and a thumb,
it waits for a hidden command
some semblance of instruction
a point from which to start.
Out the window, there is a digging sound
it reminds me of grandpa and his old
push plow, my God how it bit into the ground
row after row, straight as a string
I marveled at the precision
and at how strong he always seemed.
He planted potatoes in March,
a few new potatoes would be dug
when the green beans were picked
together to be canned and saved
against the cold winter weather
the rest were left to mature into baking size.
Sometimes when I close my eyes
I can see him in his garden
pushing that old plow
or hoeing down weeds.
My eyes open and the pencil
moves, row by row
straight as a string.
© 2017 Robert McManes
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