Art of Poetry posts when exhibits will be taken down, but occasionally there will be a glitch. Les Brown, photographed reading above, was inspired by a Basham work prematurely removed to accommodate another exhibit.  Thanks to an Art of Poetry attendee who became an easel, we can see the artwork that produced this lovely poem. Photo courtesy of Roger and Ginny Sanford.

Les Brown
HORIZON
after “Across the Winter Field” by Charles Basham

The tired farmer rests.
Firewood is in and milking
finished. By the wavy window
he sits looking across the snow
skiffed hayfield, gaze rising
to the purpled clouds hiding
the burning sunset. She is there
just past the tree-fringing
horizon, somewhere, nowhere
unless he can believe.
He tries, listens to sermons
telling of a place where she
waits for him. He looks
hard, distant, far beyond
the cold field of thin snow,
past purple clouds into blue
and golden light for hope
that his winter will end soon.
Snow will soften the ground
and the dogwood will bloom.