Poem: The Cabin

The Cabin

At night, you hear the wind blow through chinks
that gape open and empty with windows long void of glass.
The weathered grey logs have begun to rot.
Above the doorway, the beam has broken
and the whole cabin is cogglejawed.

The roof is bowed with age,
and vines clamber over floors.
There has been no life here for two generations,
and to the passerby, the cabin sighs of death.

But look closer, at the foundation,
stone and true,
and you know the truth,

that even this wretched abandoned place
can be saved, rebuilt, and made whole,
a refuge against the weather to whomever
has the vision, and the courage,
to persevere.

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The picture is of a cabin in Craig County, Virginia, abandoned for two generations, but still standing. You can click on it for a larger version.

Tom