L Milton Hankins | + Follow Poet |
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Marking a Memory

I am recalling how wonderful it was to stand
At the edge of the New River Gorge overlook 
And view the expanse of the ridges, so grand,
From a distance the river seemed only a brook.

The mountains, embracing the water’s edge,
Covered in verdant greenery for eons of time
Looking to the south a high steel arch bridge
Awaited the young poet conjuring up a rhyme.
 
Far, far below waiting for the next coal train
A wayside station, from up here merely a dot,
If one listened closely, river whispered a refrain
While the lad marked his memory on this spot.

A vast breathtaking scape emotionally crushing
Northward, a dam resembling a gigantic comb,
Gates lowered holding back the water rushing
Above the worn weathered rocks awash in foam.

Soon, I shall return to this primordial wilderness
Not far from the place of my birth, so long ago
A place which in spirit I’ve never left, I confess,
Where the lovely waters of the New River flow. 

Written May 20, 2022

Copyright © L Milton Hankins | Year Posted 2022

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Bill Baker Date: 5/29/2022 10:52:00 AM A beautiful Quatrain, Milt. I'm glad you have such vivid memories of home. We all have a place filled with memories, in our hearts, we call it home. A poet friend in Texas, Bill Login to Reply L Milton Hankins Date: 5/29/2022 10:59:00 AM Thanks, Bill. They say you can never go home, but I prefer to think I've never left home. And, yes, I can go back anytime, since I live only about two hours from my birthplace. It's a lovely day trip back to the mountains.

Caren Krutsinger Date: 5/23/2022 1:28:00 PM Such an optimistic attitude heading toward the next adventure "Soon, I shall return to this primordial wilderness Not far from the place of my birth, so long ago A place which in spirit I’ve never left, I confess, Where the lovely waters of the New River flow. " I love that! Login to Reply L Milton Hankins Date: 5/23/2022 4:18:00 PM I do, too, Caren. My heart is in the mountains!

Tom Cunningham Date: 5/20/2022 12:53:00 PM Those wonderful memories stay with you forever Milton, it sounds like my kind of place. Tom Login to Reply L Milton Hankins Date: 5/20/2022 1:02:00 PM They do indeed, Tom. The hills of West Virginia, my mountain home, will always hold a special place in my heart. We never truly leave home, I suspect. Thanks, Tom.