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The stooping figure of my mother, waist-deep in the grass and caught there like a piece of sheep’s wool, was the last I saw of my country home as I left it to discover the world.”
Laurie Lee “As I walked out one midsummer morning

It’s that time of year when visiting birds to our shores begin to depart – seeing them gather along our coastlands looking over the sea to elsewhere, gives such a plaintive feeling. And Kenneth Grahame captures it so well in “The Wind in the Willows” – the Wayfaring Stranger chapter:-

“The Water Rat was restless, and he did not exactly know why. To all appearance the summer’s pomp was still at fullest height, and although in the tilled acres green had given way to gold, though rowans were reddening, and the woods were dashed here and there with a tawny fierceness, yet light and warmth and colour were still present in undiminished measure, clean of any chilly premonitions of the passing year. But the constant chorus of the orchards and hedges had shrunk to a casual evensong from a few yet unwearied performers; the robin was beginning to assert himself once more; and there was a feeling in the air of change and departure. Rat, ever observant of all winged movement, saw that it was taking daily a southing tendency; and even as he lay in bed at night he thought he could make out, passing in the darkness overhead, the beat and quiver of impatient pinions, obedient to the peremptory call.” [more]

For today’s MTB prompt I’ve decided to revisit one I did back in October ‘23 see HERE.
This was loosely based on Juan Herrera’s poem “Five Directions Home” but since I’ve been away quite a lot lately I’ve been reading poetry about departures, rather than arrivals, including this brief one by Edward Thomas [link]:

"‘...Go now’.

Those two words shut a door
Between me and the blessed rain”

And that is where our MTB poetry prompt begins today, leaving home, the central compass point of departure, thus:

  • 25 lines
  • 5 stanzas –
    • 1st stanza is your home (real or imaginary)
    • next 4 stanzas – each compass point away from your home
  • 5 lines per stanza – quintain
    • syllabic structure, optional rhyme (Crown Cinquain)*
    • OR
    • unrhymed and unstructured (Pentastitch)
  • the title should begin or include: “Five …………”

Guidance: Remember this is poetry – avoid making your poem sound as descriptive as a travel or map guide – Herrera’s poem is imaginative – read here

*Useful links: How to write a Crown Cinquain

Once you have written and posted your poem, according to the guidelines above, do add it to Mr Linky below then go visiting and reading other contributors as that is half the fun of our dVerse gatherings.
Please also TAG dVerse in your post, or include a link at the end of your poem that leads readers back to this dVerse prompt

[N.B. Mr Linky closes Saturday 3 p.m. EST]