Poetry Community

Cave - Ins and Outs

Free Verse (#free) 25 Auguust 2016
by John Anderson © 2016 See Collection => Email comments and feedback to John

Caves are dark, dank, sinister havens for rising damp
Mere cavities in the ground, veiled from light of day
Yet caves are heralded, admired and cherished
For a swarm of reasons, just mind the bats.

Caves are drop inns
Hikers and natives welcome finding a cave
They provide shelter from wind and rain
A great place to stay the night, light a fire
To enjoy the cosy charm of safe seclusion

Caves are art galleries.
The walls are dotted with new and ancient graffiti
Hand-prints, paintings, scribbles and scenes
Made by artists with no where else to hang their stuff,
Revealed by flickering flames and dim filtered beams of light

Caves are museums and dumps.
Visitors leave their junk in caves.
Animals topple in and get trapped
Caves are a great place for animals to die.
These dumps are bliss to archaeologists
Who drool over skeletons, artefacts and such old-time junk

Caves are cathedrals and awe-catches
Endless aeons of dirty drips yield fabulous
On floor and ceiling displays of
Glistening stalactites and stalagmites.
The cavernous space, silence and eerie dankness
Makes visitors gasp with adoration and awe
Highlighted by the uniqueness, isolation and remoteness of caves.

So duck-in to a cave when you pass one by
and you'll discover the ins and outs of caves.
Caves are awesome and strangely welcoming
Despite their darkness, dampness and malevolence.