God's Speak
73
God's Speak?
Our large cedar house Father built on the edge of town.......and
across the cow paddock out front .............the Murray River flowed down
stream, a continuous swiftly swirling snake surrounded by River Red Gums
while over the fence out back the rail line end and a turntable for when
the steam engine comes
to the end of the track.......................to the west and across the road Father’s timber mill
and if you’re following me still
to the east a weatherboard church gone to rack and ruin
since Presbyterians and Methodists united, there weren’t a lot doin
in the old church next door............. the new congregation fancied the stone chapel up town
so the old church stood forlorn and unloved...........until it was eventually pulled down
Six siblings had I, seven of us over a twelve year spread
and us three little ones were so easily led...............we
listened wide eyed with wonder at what the four big kids said
and stories of ghouls and goblins filled our heads...................
A full moon rising over the old church was an eerie sight to behold
and after dusk on this night we little ones were feeling quite bold
gee-d on by each other in a dare.................................and
unbeknown to our parents, busy in the kitchen or somewhere......
we climbed the front fence and edged our way towards the church next door
too scary this place........... we had never strayed there before
You see Father, way back then was an atheist through and through
We had no notion of religion or of God.........but on this night our intrigue grew
and as night shadows danced on the weathered white boards
excitement mixed with fear and the rush of this daring act soared
.....................in our young minds so fresh and so pure
my brother, my sister and I gave into the lure.........................and
crept through the rusty iron gate, the plan was to do a lap of the church and come back
..................the moonlit side was an easy feat, while the leeward side, pitch black
Turning the corner, darkness loomed out....................... we stumbled along
..........................hoping by then that this wouldn’t take long
giggling with nervous tension, but ready to run...............
my brother protectively took the hands of me and my sister, the littlest one............
while my heart thumped inside my eardrums and nervously............ I needed to wee
...........I felt my brother’s sweaty hand, while darkness was all I could see...........
Suddenly........... from under the floorboards we heard..............
God groan?
Linked hands pulled asunder.............. each for their own
we turned on our heels and hightailed for home.................
Still trembling with fear we offered Father with a safe version of events
“Uh- uh, no Dad, we neber did climb the fence”
(Fearing a hiding into next week)
“We were playing in our yard when we heard God’s speak”
but Dad’s face creased into a smile and he became a grinner
“You silly rascals, that wasn’t God, what you heard was old Talbot’s cow
.................. bellowing for her dinner”
We never felt the desire to go back through that rusty iron gate
..............................I guess we just put it down to fate
faithfully believing that old Talbot’s milking cow
had got herself stuck...............under the church somehow
While that old church was demolished some 45 years ago............I still but wonder
whether bovine bones were found.......... there under
and now, all these years later, answers to questions I seek.....................
was that groan that we heard really God’s speak?
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Oh this is such a story to remember; cherish and share just as you have done.
I coud feel your fear and see you holding onto your brother's nervous
and clammy little hand as well!!
A great read and thank you so much.
I vote up up and awayyy!!!
I have emailed you and shouldn't be long before I can get Erin's shirt to you.
Take care and have a wonderful day.
Eiddwen.
Oh how very cute. God groans so it might have been Him. One never knows. Thanks so much for this fun read. It made me laugh and I really needed to laugh this morning.
What a precious story, it made me smile, a delight to read thank you so much for sharing.
voting up, best wishes MM
Wow! What an enjoyable journey that was. So, so sweet. This is a poem I could come back to again.
Oh, I just loved this. I could see you all so clear. Your writing is wonderful..Thank you..Smiles
Wonderful poem. It was easy to get wrapped up in it and carried along like pieces of wood in a swollen spring stream.
I loved this poem I felt as though I was right there, inching and stumbling around the dark side. The hearing the moan, oh jeepers I bet you ran as if the wind were chasing you.
Voted up
Very entertaining read and I love how you kept it from a child's point of view. I agree with Rosemay that it felt like we were right there with you. And that groan was really something! Glad no one got a licking for climbing over that fence.
Voted up across the board.
Hi Eiddwen, it was all so long ago, I think I would have been about 4 or 5 at the time, we really were innocent little lambs!!
I am so looking forward to wearing a shirt for Erin, it will mean so much to me. Look forward to hearing from you.
Thank you so much for your comment and support as always, best wishes from Annie.
Thank you H-bird, yes, I believe it could well have been Him, however at the time we believed anything we were told and its only recently that I have revisited memories such as this one and looked at them a little differently. I am so glad I cheered you this morning and hope all is well for you my dear friend.
Thank you for your support, my best wishes to you, from Fennelseed.
Fennelseed,
Greetings. Very good Fennelseed. You have excelled yourself with this. I like it.
With warm wishes,
MAKUSR
Thank you MM, I an so glad, smiles are always good and you too have provided me with a few, like your cows over the back fence!!! Happy to exchange many more smiles with you my friend. Best wishes from Fennelseed.
Hi Cyndi10, its lovely to meet you. Thank you for your kind comment, I am so glad you enjoyed this little journey back down my memory lane!! Best wishes to you from Fennelseed.
HI AE, wow, thank you so much for your kind comment. It is fun looking back at such innocent times. So glad you liked this. Smiles in return, from Fennelseed.
Jeepers is right, especially because we knew we were off limits as well!!!
Thank you so much for your comment and support, Rosemay, my very best wishes to you on this fine Friday, from Fennelseed.
Thank you HBN, I am so glad my story came alive for you, that is a great compliment, so thank you. I guess I could write it from a child’s point of view because although the detail is sketchy in my mind, the feelings are still very real and boy was I scared!!!
My Dad very rarely raised a hand to us, so we were pretty safe, but I needed the word there for the rhyme and it fitted. Just the same he did go crook at us and that didn’t feel good and was to be avoided at all costs.
Many thanks again, best wishes from Fennelseed.
Thank you dear Makusr, I am so glad you like it!!
I have fallen behind some in my reading, unfortunately work gets in the way of my Hubpages activity, but I will call by very soon.
My best wishes to you as always, from Fennelseed.
AMAZING! Voted up hun. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much Cresentmoon, it's a lot of fun recalling the good memories. I appreciate your comment and support. My best wishes to you, Fennelseed.
Hi Fennelseed
Your precious poem bought a smile to my face this early Sunday morning.
Voted up, up and away!
Wonderful, it flowed really well and told a really good story, leaving the reader wondering too. Amazing what sticks with us from childhood, those precious exaggerated memories. I enjoyed it.
Thank you Ercolano, I barely remember the exact events, but I remember a lot of the feelings from that time, such confusion in our minds as our Dad was adament that God didn't exist, yet our Grandma would make us say grace when we visited and the church next door was very scary and mysterious. It was lots of fun converting those feelings and the few distant memories I have of that time into this little story. I am so glad you enjoyed it. My best wishes, Fennelseed.
Hi Sueswan, I am so glad you enjoyed this story. Smiles are good!! Best wishes from Fennelseed.
I enjoyed this from beginning to end, Fennelseed. You have written this poem so well that I felt I was actually there! I thoroughly enjoyed your story: voted "up" on this one; loved it!
Thank you time2rite, its lovely to meet you. I am so glad you liked my story. I appreciate your kind comment and support, my best wishes to you, from Fennelseed.
amazing
What a treasure of a memory that you have shared here, told with such detail I could see the three of you creeping through the broken fence to explore the dark unknown
Simply wonderful!!
Thank you so much Nighthag, I was on a roll with this one, the memories came flooding back. It was such a strange time for me, so many questions and not enough answers. But then I was only about 5 years old and full of wonder. Thank you again, my best wishes to you, from Fennelseed.
This poem had a great flow and was well written. You may be able to make a hip hop song out of it. Even though it may have not been God that spoke. Maybe a seed was planted which is why you are still curious about God today. He dose work in mysterious ways.
Thank you so much Mr Optimistic, it was fun to write this and to flick back through old memory archives :)
And yes, the seed was definately planted back then.
Thank you again and my best wishes to you.
Sunnie Day Level 8 Commenter 6 months ago
This was precious fennelseed. I just loved it..Maybe God was speaking through the old cow..lol you never know...
Thank you for a big smile this Wed morning,
Love,
Sunnie