The porch,
Columns of trees, holding the wainscoting ceiling for years;
Reflects his strength.
Wind now rips the bark from their bodies;
As illness wore away his vigor.
Tongue and grove floor laid lovingly,
painstakingly fitting it to the round bark wall-boards;
Mirroring the patience of guiding his children’s lives.
Freeze and thaw, warps and splinters the boards away from the wall;
Strong children move out on their own.
Wine barrel table and chairs,
Seats now weathered, torn and uncomfortable;
The consummate host - his family and friends leave with
laughter and peace.
His aura lingered for a long time –
Sometimes, even now.
Yet once in a while –
As time, like the wind stealing small pieces –
It feels like the porch never was –
Looking for the formal definition, structure, and history of this poetry form? Visit the Poetry Dictionary entry below. Then return to explore how PoetrySoup members bring the form to life through their own poems.