The Martha's Vineyard Times

Poets Corner: Granite Orchard

By Michael Achille
May 2, 2012

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Granite Orchard

Shaded by oaks and cedars, rows

of stones with lichen-laced letters

hide among mist shrouded mounds

behind country churches.

Standing straight, or tipped

by time, their ancient inscriptions

tell of hard times.

The men went first, to rest and

wait, sometimes for years,

before greeting their women.

Only then, the children grown,

chores done, stock fed,

fences mended, and doors latched.

Michael Achille retired from the academic world in 1988. He is a year-round resident of Oak Bluffs, and his poems have appeared in Vineyard Poets, South Road, Z'Arts Quarterly, Cape Cod Times, and the Wampanoag Cranberry Day Archives. His first book of poems, "It's What I Do" was published in 1995. The second book, "Scraps and Rags" was published in 2005.

The Martha's Vineyard Times welcomes contributions to Poet's Corner. Dan Waters, former poet laureate of West Tisbury, will select poems to be published here. Submissions should be directed to dan@indianhillpress.com.