An Old Barn Poem by Jim Yerman

The other day on a drive home our car automatically slowed
then stopped next to an old barn just a short distance off the road.

There is an allure about old barns…still standing but falling apart
a beauty and a mystery that touches the soul and saddens the heart.

You wonder how many animals used this barn as their primary domicile
You wonder if the family who owned and operated it…was happy…at least for a little while.

Did they erect this barn next to their dream home……on a spot where they decided to stay?
Was it where they built a life together…or merely a temporary stop along the way?

Was this barn filled with love and laughter?
Was it a place where happiness flowed?
What could have possibly happened…
that she now sits abandoned by the side of the road?

Does this barn understand what has happened to her?
Does she realize she's been spurned?
Or has she been quietly…patiently waiting all this time…for her family to return?

You wonder how long this old barn will stand…
how many more years will she be able to last…
you hope a family will come along before it's too late…
and return her to the glories of her past…..

Whatever her story…whatever happened…she is a beautiful…imposing sight…
Perhaps that's why when we snapped this picture…we took it in black and white.

Because standing tall deprived of all color…
devoid of all of her hues
shows the beauty this old barn possesses…
but it captures her sadness too.