The Old Blue Ox by David Mallett

"Good afternoon I'm looking for the old blue ox"
He said,
"And" he said "I dont believe it, but, I heard my fathers dead,
And just where is the Curtis place? My God how things have changed"
He was a little old man he was almost blind
Walking with a cane.

"I know this is the place because I climbed up Severance Hill
I'd know that hill in a hundred years
And how are Ruell and Will?"
"Ruell Parkman moved away" I said
"Will Green he died you know,
And Willis Pratt has grown a man, and gone on years ago".
Our conversation was quite short, five minutes at the most
But, he stood before me like a child,
And conjured up the ghosts
Of friends and kinfolk from an older and a slower time
fifty years just disappeared like minutes in his mind.

"The ox was gone the day I left
He's been gone a week or two
And, I've come around to fetch his home
Cause I always did you know
Pa will be glad," he started off
I stood and watched him go
Down the way to yesterday
Where warmer breezes blow.

Now apple trees will wither
And barns grow old and fall
Ancient ladies sit in rocking chairs wrapped in their shawls
This old fella does the things he thinks he has to do
He's looking for his past
He might stop and talk to you.
"Good afternoon, I'm looking for the old blue ox"
He said
And he said "I dont believe it, but, I heard my father's dead
And just where is the Curtis Place?
My God, how things have changed.."
He was a little old man
He was almost blind, walking with a cane.