Farm fences flank me as I walk on Rabbit Lane two days before Christmas. Walking the length of the country road, I begin to contemplate the nature of fences. Fences keep the cattle in their pastures, while keeping pheasant poachers out. Fences remind me of the limitations I put on myself through fear and doubt. I think of social, legal, political, and relationship boundaries. I ponder that each cedar fence post used to be a juniper tree thriving in the Utah desert. I imagine lines of soldiers marching into battle in distant early-morning mists. Ultimately, we can choose to transcend many of our life’s fences, like the butterfly that simply flies over, as if the fences do not exist.
FENCES
Grain-field fences march
away in a disciplined line,
cedar post after cedar post,
rough-barked,
each tugging its barbs
taut as burning guns
at soldiers’ cheeks, marching
straight and away at an acute angle
to the way I would go,
hemming me in with wicked wire
points, urging me down, at the risk
of gash and scar, the direct
and dusty disciplined road,
while a Tiger Swallowtail
lazily wafts its easy way across
the fence to flutter above
the ripe wheat tops,
and a Western Kingbird
darts here and there,
erratic, up and down,
above all artificial lines, chasing
invisible insects overhead.
Rabbit Lane 
Ready to get up, we have A LOT TO DO and need to crawl out of our warm, toasty bed, but saw this more recent post so decided to read it as well. Harv informed me of where and what Rabbit Lane is. Again, we marvel at your writing skills, Roger, you have a way of turning the common into something very special and noteworthy. Your eyes see what most busy people fail to notice and you take the reader into a tiny, hidden (underfoot) world of bees, butterflies and the quiet things of nature. It’s a wonderful “escape” to join you down Rabbit Lane and the innocence therein. Thank you and we look forward to reading more. Harv is just loving this, Roger, it takes him back to those days and places he loved so much and good neighbors, like you. He holds you in the highest esteem and has such appreciation for your talent and your gentle and sensitive nature. We want to come see you and Angie one of these days.
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Mary, you could not possibly have said anything more meaningful to me. Thank you so much. We would love to see you to, and take a walk on Rabbit Lane.
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How nice that would be. We’ll certainly make it a top priority on our list. We are bogged down at the moment with projects with deadlines. Once this is over; I need some reprieve. A walk down Rabbit Lane may soothe some jangled nerves. Thanks…
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