Tribute To A Barn

TRIBUTE TO A BARN

by Nola Sprague©

November 17, 1980

Your weathered walls have stood many storms,

And watched the new cattle being born,

It seems a disgrace to tear you down,

And scatter your hewn logs around.

You once were proud and stood erect,

But now you sag and sigh a bit.

You’ve watched the snow hurling around your door,

And guarded the farmer’s hay in store.

Your old grey walls echo sounds of work and play,

As children laughed and played in the hay.

For many years you were here to stay,

But now at long last you are going away.

Ceased is the clinking of milk pails to the floor.

The farmer appears at his station no more.

Gone are his melodious whistling tunes,

And the hewn logs lie in silence and gloom.

An eerie sound escapes from the loft,

As some pigeons seek sanctuary way up top,

Once again hammers ring through the air,

And visitors take time to stop and stare.

Perhaps, it’s been a hundred years or more,

Since you heard the ringing of the hammers soar,

As these hardy men built you strong and erect,

But now your course of doom has taken effect.

As the timbers creek and topple down,

In their timeless effort to the ground,

You did not give them up easily, you proud old barn.

I don’t know how we can do you harm.

Some think it’s fun to see you fall,

But to me you tell the most tragic story of all,

The story of a simple way of life,

Of truth, of dignity, and some strife.

Yes, it seems a disgrace to tear you down,

You seem like an old friend there found,

If only I could wave a magic wand,

I’d place you back into the perfect barn.

When we sold the farm and moved from the farm house on the north shore of Big Island to a two-acre lot on the south side of Big Island, there was a barn on our lot. Since we no longer needed a barn and we were concerned about its close proximity to the road, as well as our house, we reluctantly decided to tear it down. During its demolition, my wife, Nola, was inspired to put her thoughts to verse, in what I think, is one of her best efforts, in the above poem.