Poem: “Through the New York State countryside” by Teresa Edmond

“Through the New York State countryside”

From Syracuse, NY to North Jersey

My boyfriend, daughter and I ride back

In his jeep

On a breezy, damp July morning.

Arcane and open space nature meets

Modern conveniences

In the countryside.

The grass and crops sprawl across the open field

As the roads cut through these fields

And telephone poles populate the roadsides.

An occasional herd of cows or group of horses

Have gathered on the farmlands.

They chew on this vegetation

While they anticipate becoming

Beasts of burden

or worse.

Fog stream from the mountains before us,

The smoky mists drift and roll

Along the sea of green and gray

In the distance.

The rain patters on the windshield

Of my boyfriend’s jeep

While the sun peeks through the clouds

To see if it’s all right to take over its

Weather duties from the drizzle.

-          Teresa Edmond

August 21, 2010