Rooftop Stronghold Poem by Kim Barney

Kim Barney

Kim Barney

I was born in a bank - - my mother went there and made a deposit

Rooftop Stronghold

Rating: 4.9


Like soldiers in a row
They stand or rather, hang,
Trying to cling to life,
But they keep on slipping.
Their demise may be slow
Yet I know they must die
For their blood is dripping.
Drip by drip, drip by drip
Their short life slips away.
Some are lost in the heat of day
As true soldiers are lost
In the heat of battle.
The nighttime comes and they
Regroup, regain some strength.
Not many die at night
-But with the morning light
They must again be wary
For they are nothing more
Than icicles of February.

Rooftop Stronghold
Thursday, December 25, 2014
Topic(s) of this poem: nature,winter
POET'S NOTES ABOUT THE POEM
submitted September 17 2014

This poem was originally published in the Salt Lake Tribune, probably about 1973.

deleted and resubmitted with changed title 25 December 2014 in order to get rid of the soundtrack added by PH
COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Bri Edwards 11 March 2015

oh yeah, the soundtrack added by PH. they annoy me (as i guess they do you) . i don't know how to post photos with my poems and i don't care enough to learn, but i do like the two i've seen on your pages. i got in my head old shingles and couldn't shake them loose, even though the poem didn't exactly describe shingles. icicles, of course! i always have trouble spelling that word. i saw plenty during my first 50+ years when i lived in central new york state. now i bask in the mild temps of northern coastal california. oh, back to the poem: the whole poem seems without blemish, but i picked these as my favorite lines: The nighttime comes and they Regroup, regain some strength thanks for sharing. bri :)

23 0 Reply
Ann Beard 27 March 2015

very good. really enjoyed it. Ann

23 0 Reply
Wes Vogler 05 November 2015

You got me. I didn't guess icicles but then in all fairness I just finished your poem on Antietam.. I like it. Good stuff

22 0 Reply
Tom Billsborough 29 July 2016

These soundtracks are a pain in the Butt. Worth 10 for that comment alone! The poem itself is excellent too! A brilliant linking of images. Sort of poetry I really admire. I'll make this a favourite and keep your work in view. It's hard keeping up with everyone but, if this is a good sample of your work, you've got a new fan here. Tom Billsborough

20 0 Reply
Bri Edwards 16 December 2016

i guess it is already there!

20 0 Reply
Bri Edwards 15 September 2019

1 1/2 years later, i'm drawn to the title again! ! ! let me review another! ;) bri how many times will this happen! ! ? ?

1 0 Reply
Bri Edwards 11 March 2018

the title drew me in.......again! :)

7 0 Reply
Michael Walker 20 November 2017

Your photo explains the meaning clearly, as I was wondering who or what 'they' were. I have seen little of icicles, so your poem has novelty for me; and real class.

8 0 Reply
Smoky Hoss 22 July 2017

Great metaphoric form, the battle of the season, the brevity of any life form. Great stuff!

8 0 Reply
Laurie Van Der Hart 14 March 2017

Oh, very dramatic and clever! I think you've had an enormous regiment of these putting up camp in the U.S. Lately, not so?

17 0 Reply
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Kim Barney

Kim Barney

I was born in a bank - - my mother went there and made a deposit
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