I
Does barbed wire resent its role eternally racked between two posts
or does it relish
scorpion tails poised to draw blood?
Is the blackberry seen as cousin or conqueror?
Is electricity seen as helpmate or rival?
Does it smirk when the wet-nosed calf is spiked
or does it curse as a child might curse to see the elder spoil his fun?
Does barbed wire dream?
In dreams does it untwist
drop barbs like loose hair
strain to snap, spring to a ball, then tumbleweed away?
When it reaches the sea does it untangle there - eel into... surf?
Does it explore and return
or dissolve with a sigh?
Airport Frankfurt - Fraport - Flughafen Frankfurt - barbed wire and fence - Stacheldraht und Zaun
by Norbert Nagel, Mörfelden-Walldorf, Germany (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
YOU ARE READING
Barbed Wire
PoetryBarbed Wire reflects ironically (I hope) on the different roles of barbed wire - from its practical uses on a farm to the experiences of my father while he was incarcerated in a forced labour camp. It also questions how barbed wire might view itsel...
