Ashley's Sestina

Farmer’s Daughter

The sun is out and the sky is the color of sapphire,

signifying that the time was now and today was the day

to go out and harvest the vast, brown expanse

of lush fields that were always my haven,

for they raised me with their calming whispers

And taught me much of the world in the form of experience.

Once we met, you became my life changing experience

You drew me in fast with your eyes of sapphire,

My first words to you were mumbles, practically whispers.

I learnt what the meaning of beauty was on that day.

Your personality and grace were that of heaven,

the only explication was that you had traversed the expanse.

We spent our time climbing on bales, avoiding the expanses,

throwing bush parties, adding to our experiences,

sleeping under the stars, dreaming of the heavens,

skinny dipping in the dugout, creating drops of sapphire,

jumping over swaths of canola on a competitive day,

avoiding her farmer father, whose shotgun did not whisper.

We expressed our thoughts to each other in the form of whispers,

we regarded the country sunsets and watched our horizons expand,

we said ‘I love you’ on top of grainery roofs at least once a day;

we were always searching for new experiences.

We valued our time together on the farm more than sapphires;

the tractor was my home but with her, it was my haven.

I would count the days until I saw her again, my angel from heaven.

The end of the harvest season had been a nagging whisper;

the sparkling snow was my only reminder of her sapphires.

We had wished for the length of harvest to expand

but the weather never allowed it; it put an end to our experience.

I returned back home, and hoped to be reunited one day.

The sun had set on the field, today was the day.

After today, I would hopefully get to be her haven

for we would be happy together, I know from experience.

My thoughts and feelings would now become whispers.

For the chance to be with her, I spared no expense;

I encompassed my feelings for her in a ring of sapphire.

On the day we met, my prayers, which were only ever whispered,

were answered by heaven over the great expanse

and allowed me to experience the beauty of sapphire.

By Ashley Smith