A poem is a walk.
–A.R. Ammons
My sister scunges around the surly fields and blocks
mostly with her dog
Whereas my brother would soddle, he being a thinker
and my mother would nuddle her way
around the world
a theatrical persona
having majored in drama
Then there’s my grandfather
he’s a dew-beater taken
with traveling, learning and business
And I, I would doddle and dander
finding my way by accident
on all the lopeways winding through meadows
looking at the galleries
the deer have trampled
under the bedwos.
Amy Phimister
Poet’s Comment:
”I wrote this poem as the result of a class at Write On Door County which used Robert MacFarlane’s book called Landmarks filled with landscape words we have lost.”
dander - to stroll leisurely. Ireland
dew-beater - trail-blazer, pioneer. Hampshire
doddle - to walk slowly and pleasurably. Northern Ireland
nuddle - to walk in a dreamy manner with head down, as if preoccupied. Suffolk
soddle - to walk in a slow or leisurely manner, stroll, saunter. Poetic
scunge - to explore or wander about the countryside. Ireland