Mountain Barn, and: Save the Gorge

TWO POEMS by Alice McNew MOUNTAIN BARN A mountain barn's a work of art. Not trim and neat, and customary, And nobody'd point and say "This is how a barn's supposed to be." It's just itself, like Uncle Simp Or Cousin Belva, or the granny-woman Who first saw your face. A mountain barn was made To fit the place it set on, And if you needed more of it You put some more to it, And there wasn't another like it In the whole country, or in the whole worldLike your pap, or your brother Onis, Or even you. SAVE THE GORGE The massive crags, the cliffs, the arches Hewn by the breath of God Valiant sculptures with names like Castle Arch, Chimney Top, Star Gap, Raven Rock Impossible to destroy short of dynamite Or drowning with acres and acres of water Where speedboats could roar And rammick up the coves, Proud of the big splash they make. But then Man's made a lot of progress. Didn't Ole Adam get out of Eden Just as quick as he could go? 57 ...