The Loneliest Place

The Loneliest Place

Is there anywhere
more lonely than here?
A kirkyard
buried in years,
overgrown, broken,
gravestones wiped clean.
This place is lost
in our maps,
buried beyond
a rusted gate.

There are
no paths to follow,
no trampled tracks.
From deep in here,
the world falls away,
leaving only this space.
Framed by the window
in a fragment of wall,
a young tree
brushes the clouds.

By photos,poetry and haiku by Derek Ross

I am a photographer/ poet from Dumfries in South West Scotland. I concentrate on minimalist images and prefer using an iPhone these days. As far as my writing is concerned, I usually write short poems (some in Scots dialect), hence my interest in haiku and related forms.

View all of photos,poetry and haiku by Derek Ross's posts.

13 comments

Elaine Colquhoun says:

9th Sep 2020 at 5:19 pm

Someone loved them once.

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1. photos,poetry and haiku by Derek Ross says:
  
  9th Sep 2020 at 5:23 pm
  
  They sure did. Always been drawn to these places 😱
  
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Leslie Leibhardt Goodman - Writer says:

9th Sep 2020 at 5:53 pm

Your poem captures this lonely place with more than well-chosen words. When I read the lines aloud, I hear and see the sparse and powerful poetry techniques found in a Haiku. It’s incredible.

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1. photos,poetry and haiku by Derek Ross says:
  
  9th Sep 2020 at 6:55 pm
  
  Your too kind Leslie. Glad it wasn’t too depressing. There’s so much history in these places.
  
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Liz Gauffreau says:

9th Sep 2020 at 6:41 pm

I echo the other comments. Your poem is exquisite!! I must share.

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1. photos,poetry and haiku by Derek Ross says:
  
  9th Sep 2020 at 6:57 pm
  
  Jings, that’s very kind of you Liz! Thanks for sharing, hope the poem doesn’t depress your followers too much! 🤗👍
  
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  1. Liz Gauffreau says:
    
    10th Sep 2020 at 12:46 pm
    
    You’re welcome, Derek. I don’t find the poem depressing at all. It honors the place and the people who once lived there.
    
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Mary Smith says:

9th Sep 2020 at 7:10 pm

You capture the loneliness of the place perfectly, Derek. I think it’s a beautiful poem and not at all depressing.

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1. photos,poetry and haiku by Derek Ross says:
  
  9th Sep 2020 at 7:15 pm
  
  Thanks Mary. Glad you liked it, nice to loose yourself in words sometimes. 👍
  
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Marje @ Kyrosmagica says:

9th Sep 2020 at 9:30 pm

A lovely sense of place, your words take me there

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1. photos,poetry and haiku by Derek Ross says:
  
  9th Sep 2020 at 9:42 pm
  
  Thank you for your kind words. Makes it all worthwhile 👍
  
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Mary Kendall says:

28th Sep 2020 at 5:26 pm

I’ve found that there is a certain draw of old cemeteries to poets everywhere. I’m not sure why, but perhaps it’s the romanticism of such a place…a place where our imagination can wander and think about who each person was, what their life was like, who they were as people, etc. Your photograph is this is haunting. I’m going to enjoy exploring your site very much. I’ve been to Scotland a few times, but most of that was in Edinburgh and a quick sojourn in the Highlands. The beauty of your country is haunting. Keep up the wonderful work, Derek.

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1. photos,poetry and haiku by Derek Ross says:
  
  28th Sep 2020 at 5:31 pm
  
  Lovely to meet you too 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
  
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