E-Verse Radio
  • About
    • Disclaimer
    • Videos
    • Subscribe
  • Ernest Hilbert’s Books

“Follower” by Seamus Heaney

By Luke Stromberg • June 18, 2017 • E-Verse Universe

My father worked with a horse plough,
His shoulders globed like a full sail strung
Between the shafts and the furrow.
The horses strained at his clicking tongue.

An expert. He would set the wing
And fit the bright-pointed sock.
The sod rolled over without breaking.
At the headrig, with a single pluck.

Of reins, the sweating team turned round
And back into the land. His eye
Narrowed and angled at the ground,
Mapping the furrow exactly.

I stumbled in his hobnailed wake,
Fell sometimes on the polished sod;
Sometimes he rode me on his back
Dipping and rising to his plod.

I wanted to grow up and plough,
To close one eye, stiffen my arm.
All I ever did was follow
In his broad shadow around the farm.

I was a nuisance, tripping, falling,
Yapping always. But today
It is my father who keeps stumbling
Behind me, and will not go away.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Comments

comments

"Follower"Father's Daypoempoemspoetryseamus heaney
Tweet
0
Ernest Hilbert Appears as Featured Reader for Schuylkill Valley Journal

No Comments

    Leave a Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Venue Change: Ernest and Ian Hilbert at Toast Cafe, 1201 Spruce Street

    About the Author

    Luke Stromberg

    Luke Stromberg is the Associate Poetry Editor of E-Verse. His work has appeared in The Philadelphia Inquirer, The New Criterion, The Hopkins Review, Think Journal, and several other venues.

    Search E-Verse

    Subscribe to E-Verse

    Get new posts by email:

    Follow Along

    Videos

    Audio

    Facebook Twitter Soundcloud Youtube RSS

    Made with in Philly

    © 2018 E-Verse Radio All rights reserved.