Draft in the author’s style. This poem was written for Poet of Rain & Harvest to sit beside the author’s own readings, and is waiting for the author’s review. The commentary is a working draft too.
At dusk on the edge of the harvest, when the last of the wagons came,
The barn was lit with lanterns, and it glowed like a golden flame.
The hay smelled sweet as honey, and the beams were warm with light,
And the animals were settling for the peace of the falling night.
The farmer's wife brought stew and bread, and they ate in the light of the door,
And they talked of the day's long labour and the wheat they had stored.
The dog lay down by the threshold, the horses shifted their feet,
And the owls began to whisper in the rafters, soft and sweet.
There were stars above the roof and a hush on the field of grain,
And the light slid down the hayloft like a drop of golden rain.
So here's to barns at evening and the glow of a labour done,
To the peace of a harvest gathered, under a setting sun.
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Commentary
At the end of a harvest day, the barn glows like a small sun. This poem gathers the family, the animals and the evening light into one picture of rest.
“At dusk on the edge of the harvest, when the last of the wagons came,” the barn is lit with lanterns and “glowed like a golden flame.” “The hay smelled sweet as honey,” and the animals settle for “the peace of the falling night.” “The farmer’s wife brought stew and bread,” and the family talks of “the day’s long labour.”
“The dog lay down by the threshold,” the horses shift, and “the owls began to whisper in the rafters.” Above are stars and “a hush on the field of grain.” The poem ends with a toast to “barns at evening and the glow of a labour done.”