Old Stone Walls
after Joyce Kilmer
Thou ancient stones that stand
as sentinels of earth and sky
thy weathered face a testament
to seasons come and gone
In thee I see a steadfast heart
that beats with patience and with peace
a soul that knows the gentle art
of waiting and of release
The moss that clings to thy rough skin
a soft and silent creeping thing
that brings a touch of green within
thy rugged and thy weathered ring
And when the sun sets slow and low
thy shadows stretch and softly grow
across the land in darkening flow
like a dark river’s gentle flow
I took from Joyce Kilmer his focus on nature and the personification of natural objects, and applied it to a subject he might have recognized but not written about: old stone walls. I aimed to capture his sense of reverence and simplicity in the poem.