Scenes Of Village Life

Scenes Of Village Life
© Surazeus
2024 01 18

Outside old cottage by the raven well 
young girl with long hair golden as the wheat 
stops raking hay in piles for cows to eat 
when the rake breaks on jagged stone in mud, 
so she washes her hands in moon-bright bowl 
and lies down to slumber under the oak. 

Proud peacock flutters its wings in the yard, 
so the pretty girl with long golden hair 
gathers shimmering feathers from the grass, 
stuffs them in pillow of linen and lace, 
then fluffs it on the bed with sturdy posts 
for her lover to lay his head at night. 

Sitting in the wagon, in clean white gown, 
loaded with boxes of bedding and clothes, 
the young pretty bride with long golden hair 
weeps as the horse trots quickly in dark woods 
where her bridegroom waits with his family, 
as petals drop from the rose in her hand. 

Cradling new-born baby in her warm arms, 
young mother with golden hair wound in braids 
hums lullaby in the late evening dusk, 
"Take care of your mother when she grows old, 
for she will care for you till day she dies 
though when you marry you leave her alone." 

Peering out window of the vine-wreathed hut, 
old mother with hair silver as moonlight 
sees the white shirt she embroidered with swirls 
twinkle through dark green branches of oak trees, 
and whispers prayer for fairies to attend 
her little boy who dances by the pool. 

While old men play violins, flutes, and drums, 
the young boy with hair golden as the wheat 
dances around fire in the village square, 
singing, "Little oak tree, grow strong and tall, 
and send your ravens to the shining moon, 
so I can dance while life is free and new." 

Dancing with billy goats on sunlit hill, 
young boy with golden hair calls out their names 
and tries to drive them down to village home, 
but snarling wolf from shadowed woods attacks, 
so he twirls wand and beats it on the head, 
but his mother cries at blood on his shirt. 

Observing folksy scenes of village life, 
Bela Bartok, slender man with wolf eyes, 
sits at wood desk and dips quill in black ink 
to compose music with lyrical verse 
describing story of the young shy bride 
whose son saves his goats from the mountain wolf.