A Silent Man, a poem by John Anthony Fingleton at Spillwords.com
Rad Cyrus

A Silent Man

A Silent Man

written by: John Anthony Fingleton (Löst Viking)

 

I can remember when he was big and strong.
More than any other man I knew,
The weather could not stop his work –
But found far more easier things to do.

The harvest was no match for him,
Sometimes despite the pouring rain.
His strong arms shelved the hay bales,
Broad shoulders – sacks of grain.

Then one winter, the invasion came,
By an enemy of the mind.
Yet the changes came on slowly,
Like a shadow creeping from behind.

Not caring, if the day was bright,
Or the horses left running wild;
Broken fences went unrepaired,
The light slowly dimming in his eyes.

Then one day he just stopped talking,
As if words were some affliction to his means.
I still believe that the silence did not kill him –
But the total lack of dreams.

John Anthony Fingleton (Löst Viking)

John Anthony Fingleton (Löst Viking)

DECEMBER 2020 AUTHOR OF THE MONTH at Spillwords Press
John Anthony Fingleton was born in Cork City, in the Republic of Ireland. Now living in Paraguay, South America. Poems published in journals and anthologies in Ireland, UK, USA, India and France as well as three produced plays. Poems read on Irish and American radio as well in Spanish on South American broadcasts. Contributed to four books of poetry for children. Has poems published in Spillwords, Alien Bhudda, The Red Door, Piker Press, Super Poetry Highway, The Writers Magazine, Ariel Chart, and numerous national and international journals, blogs, reviews, and anthologies. Poet of the Year (2016) Destiny Poets International Community. Poet of the Month (March 2019) Our Poetry Archive. Poet of the Month (April 2019) The League of Poets. Author of the Month (December 2020) Spillwords. First solo collection 'Poems from the Shadowlands' was published in November 2017, 'Words That Found Me' December 2019, 'Poems From The Banks' January 2020, 'Poems from a Restricted Place' April 2020, 'Secret Fjords' May 2020, 'A Gathering Of Words' June 2020, and ‘Lost Places And Other Poems’ January 9th 2021. All which are available on Amazon.
John Anthony Fingleton (Löst Viking)

Latest posts by John Anthony Fingleton (Löst Viking) (see all)