Louisiana Line

Louisiana Line

By Betty Adcock Betty Adcock
The wooden scent of wagons,   
the sweat of animals—these places   
keep everything—breath of the cotton gin,   
black damp floors of the icehouse.   

Shadows the color of a mirror’s back   
break across faces.  The luck   
is always bad.  This light is brittle,   
old pale hair kept in a letter.   
The wheeze of porch swings and lopped gates   
seeps from new mortar.   

Wind from an axe that struck wood   
a hundred years ago   
lifts the thin flags of the town.   

Poem copyright © 1975 by Betty Adcock. Reprinted from Walking Out, Louisiana State University Press, 1975, with permission of Betty Adcock, whose most recent book is Intervale: New and Selected Poems, Louisiana State University Press, 2001.

Source: Walking Out (Louisiana State University Press, 1975)

back to top

RELATED CONTENT

Discover this poem’s context and related poetry, articles, and media.

Poet Betty Adcock

Subjects Relationships, Home Life, Family & Ancestors, Nature, Landscapes & Pastorals

Poetic Terms Free Verse, Pastoral

More about this poem

back to top

Poem Categorization

SUBJECT Relationships, Home Life, Family & Ancestors, Nature, Landscapes & Pastorals

Poetic Terms Free Verse, Pastoral

If you disagree with this poem's categorization, make a suggestion.

Report a problem with this poem

Originally appeared in Poetry magazine.

This poem has learning resources.

This poem is good for children.

This poem has related video.

This poem has related audio.