In an offlist correspondence with Grassy
I mentioned that I'd only really one sonnet
that was in any successful.
She said she wanted to see it
so I might as well share it with everyone


              SONNET FOR A LOST ROMAN ROAD

              Treading by compass the unseen line,
              Following the way the Romans led,
              Thinking only of the road ahead,
              Looking for a place to realign,
              Bringing their direction back to mine,
              Fording then each river bed,
              Crossing over each watershed,
              Marvelling at such a straight design.

              The stones lie mostly below the turf;
              A barn there and an oak tree here
              Point to this route no longer used
              Under the land of some Saxon serf
              Who ploughed his fields without a tear
              For all the history he had seduced.

              GERALD ENGLAND

It was written in 1980
first published in "Acumen" in 1986
included in my collection "Limbo Time" (1998)
and reprinted in "Manifold" in 2000


Gerald, Christine and Craig England,
New Hope International. Haiku Talk.
Reviews, poetry, travel photography & more.
http://www.nhi.clara.net/index.htm