Image by The Library of Congress via Flickr
Submitted to Jingle’s Poetry Potluck for which the theme is Laws, Rules and Regulations: http://jinglepoetry.blogspot.com/
Boundaries
Why do we build fences?
They can’t hold out the wind,
or leaves that flutter
from the neighbor’s yard
into ours.
A flock of quail descends
into our spent garden
and feasts,
pilfering seeds that
should be fertile in the Spring.
Remember the night
raccoon purloined the Koi?
Or how in Summer we lay
awake, listening to the
long, long, short, long whistle
of the trains, into,
out of Reno, dragging loads
of who-knows-what to
destinations East and West?
Sound’s intrusion.
Tonight, my fears are not
of robbers or of things that harm.
What scares me most is
what’s within—
the limits of a closed mind.
What a fine poem! And a very well chosen subject. Your poem reminded me of Rabindranath Tagore’s ‘Where the Mind is Without Fear’.
Brilliant.
I like the words flow. great work.
Spell- bindingly beautiful..
You begin with a fence, then poured in some every day sounds and then “closed” it on a mind..
Absolutely enchanting Victoria..
You talk about the major part of our society today- closed eyes and with a closed mind behind those pairs- oh and a closed conscience too..
Great perspective.. A closed mind is also en- caged inside one invisible fencing!
Love xoxox
Victoria this is a great write! You’re a wonderful artist!!!! I’ve been missing out!
what’s within also scares me, victoria. this is something that we could control yet it could also uncontrollably go wrong. what an insightful piece you wrote.
This is brilliant! It’s true; fences don’t keep the wind out. They give a false sense of security. The inhibitions of a closed mind also give a false sense of security, allowing one to be in his comfort zone, but often, only temporarily.
Sigh, such a good poem! I especially like>
What scares me most is
what’s within—
the limits of a closed mind.
So well stated! Thanks for the poem and for visiting me, too. Hugs, pat
The last three lines say it all…Much wisdom and freshness at the same time in this verse. Thanks, Victoria.
I love your poem, especially the ending. A closed mind is indeed scary, because it’s where prejudices and judgments begin.
A well-written piece.
…What scares me most is
what’s within—
the limits of a closed mind…
…scares me too…brilliant piece of writing.
Or how in Summer we lay
awake, listening to the
long, long, short, long whistle
of the trains, into,
My most fav lines
… thanks for sharing.
Love and Light
This is simply beautiful, Victoria.. the boundaries we set around our minds and thought process is much more alarming that the fences we build around our houses… the fence may (or may not) protect our house.. but it will definitely limit our imagination and ruin the art of living…
how in Summer we lay
awake, listening to the
long, long, short, long whistle
of the trains, into,
out of Reno, dragging loads
of who-knows-what to
destinations East and West?
This is my favorite part! i adore your way with words and description. Your amazing!
Happy potluck!
A close mind, the most scary boundry! Very good poem!
Nice — I like it.
well said
How true! Never limit yourself within your closed mind, let them all out
“Why do we build fences?” I love how you start off with the external reason/failors of building fences and end with the internal. Beautifully done. Lovely poem!
Beautiful piece!! The ending is absolutely wonderful!
Yes, yes. So profound.
Wonderfully vivid journey you take us on. Thanks for sharing! and thanks for reading my piece. Happy Potluck!
The first line leaves one contemplating and the rest keeps the mind rolling.
“Tonight, my fears are not
of robbers or of things that harm.
What scares me most is
what’s within—
the limits of a closed mind.”
Very powerful…I really enjoyed this thought provoking poem.
Very satisfying. The impotence of fences, material and imagined that try to enclose the mind!
Is the picture a rcoon proof fence? I have never seen anything like it where I live!
I think, deep down, fences are a manifestation of both our greed and fear. (Fear is the basic motivator in greed)
We gather what’s ‘ours’ all around us, fencing it in, labeling it, marking our territory, in order to snuggle down safely behind ‘our’ barriers, deep within ‘our’ stuff where nobody can reach us, nor take what’s ‘ours’.
Delicious and thought-provoking Poetry Potluck dish!
Great observations, Eric.
Ending ties it together brilliantly, thanks for sharing.
Couldn’t agree more about the dangers of a closed mind. Great thoughts!
yeah, love the last stanza! it’s so true… ‘the limits of a closed mind’ – that’s what we should fear the most.
thanks for commenting mine too
Victoria, the last stanza is perfect, there is nothing to be more afraid of.
I love this composition. And I cannot agree with your more. Beautifully written.
Stuff really gets in, no matter how hard we try…except to those closed minds! A very bright concept to this poem!!
the limitations of a clsed mind- thats scary indeed liv- thank you for sharing this..
Beautiful imagery crafted in your poem and the final parting shot was very powerful!! Narrow-mindedness and lack of flexibility sets one thinking!!
Nice imagery in the poem and the big bang at the end, such a powerful ending note!! Narrow-mindedness and lack of flexibility gets one thinking.
Your poem paints a beautiful yet somehow sad picture. There’s a sense of longing. Very moving.
these boundaries we build- sometimes around our very hearts.
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I like the last stanza. The fences around our minds stopping us being open to others ideas and views. A good read!
http://jessicasjapes.wordpress.com/2011/01/24/dark-teen/
“What scares me most is
what’s within—
the limits of a closed mind. ”
loved it….
beautiful ending..and the theme was an excellent choice…
This one is very good, I love it.
Hugs
What an ending… such a powerful message.
… and yes that is the scariest thing of all. Stong ending. Bravo!
Wonderful poem and perfect contribution to Potluck, Victoria.
oh yes, what are the fences for when the very the thing that could harm us most is within! I love this one!
I could hear the trains as I read your words, and the final stanza really struck a chord with me. Good stuff. Thank you!
That is a fantastic poem. Strong intro, detailed narrative and very powerful conclusion. You really brought it together with this one. Consider me impressed; very deep poem with a lot to chew over.
crb.
I loved this one. Great conclusion. I want complete freedom and openness after reading.
Aye and what you fear is the most dangerous of it all..
Aye, and what you fear is the most dangerous of all.
Having a closed mind brings about its own punishment. Nowhere to fly or dream without boundaries. I enjoyed how you took me from the fence to the mind and left me thinking.
yes, fences are our illusions of safety and security, among many..(.I had a bit of a flashback to that old song called “Signs” ) A well-constructed, thoughtful poem with a bit of chill in the ending.
I must agree with the previous that commented. The end is brilliant, food for thought … Many people have these closed minds … Thanks for sharing Victoria.
Love the voice in this poem – I hear you
wow, how honest… love the way your words flow.
“Tonight, my fears are not
of robbers or of things that harm.
What scares me most is
what’s within—
the limits of a closed mind. ” a closed mind is the worst. i relate
That last line wrapped up the whole story. I would agree–I’m frightened of those too. I loved this, Victoria. xoxo
great representation, the last line was perfect, sealing the first line
…we are unlimited
http://hpicasso.blogspot.com/2011/01/hands-of-justice.html
Your poem paints wonderful images and is so thought -provoking. Sometimes, perhaps fences and closed minds travel together.
ouch!!!! “the limits of a closed mind”…
Enjoyable read!!!!
http://lynnaima.wordpress.com/
love the endings, the whole piece is brilliant and thought provoking..
A++