Saturday, May 8, 2021

THE LIMBERLOST

THE SUNDAY MUSE #159

This week's image brought to mind one of my favorite books as a child..."The Girl of the Limberlost" by Gene Stratton Porter, and the legend of Jim Miller who became lost in the wetland of northern Indiana called Loblolly Marsh.  Jim was known as Limber Jim, and the area became known as Limberlost in memory of Jim's fate.   My poem is loosely structured around Jim's fate

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LIMBERLOST

.Deep in Loblolly Marsh the creatures
gather to converse
to consider Limber Jim’s fate
they say he’s lost, or worse
They follow the blazes on trees
Jim left to mark his way
hoping someone would find him
before his very last day
But his fate is lost to mystery
the creatures’ memories dim
In the land of Limberlost 
they say they still look for Jim. 

16 comments:

  1. How wonderful to reach back into your girlhood for this book ... how sad that Jim was never found (at least not yet.)

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  2. The Jim's do wander. I think your well written story invites reminiscent comments.
    A small, five acres +/-, triangular piece of land on our farm across a wooded creek was accessible by team or tractor only by entering it by leaving the farm and getting on from the road. Dad had it and the creek designated "Native Wildland." Even the grass was native and was not grazed.
    My sister and I played there, a lot, almost a half mile away from the farmstead.
    ..

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    1. I'm happy this brought back a memory for you, Jim!

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  3. I enjoyed this tale very much. Smiles. I especially like "the creatures' memories dim." Mine, too. But I will never forget the foressts of my childhood, though they have turned into condominiums now.

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  4. I love the direction the image took you to the childhood story and beyond. Truly wonderful Bev! Love the lingering mystery it holds.

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  5. Sounds like a haunting story. Makes me wonder what happened to him? Did he fall into another dimension...

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  6. What a perfect fable in a poem! I've never read the book, but I'm intrigued.

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    1. Wikipedia will tell you much about the book and about the legend of the Limberlost.

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  7. Thanks for the Limberlost story

    Happy Sunday

    Much🌷love

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  8. Thank you for sharing the childhood story. I have never heard of it but, it was intriguing. What ever happened to Jim, might remain a secret in the woods?

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    1. The stories vary. In fact, even Jim's name varies! That's the mystery of it all, I guess.

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  9. Woah! What a great tale, and what a wonderful word - "Loblolly". It's brilliant. ♥

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  10. Nice Indybev,to have brought to life the legend which must have mesmerised little people of yesteryears.

    Hank

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  11. A lovely story in your poem. Thank you.

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