Don’t fence me in #dVerse #quadrille

What lies beyond, beneath, around
the corner?
Show me a locked door: I’ll spend all day
searching for the key.
For heaven’s sake, never show me a border!
Don’t fence me in, not even
metaphorically –
if I have one incurable obsession it is
curiosity.

© Experimentsinfiction 2021, All Rights Reserved

Written for dVerse

Tonight, De is hosting Quadrille, where the watchword is ‘curiosity.’ The bar opens from 3pm EST: join us for more curious poetry!

The featured image, from Pixabay, is of a curious cat exploring the Colosseum. On a study visit to Rome many moons ago, our history professor was most amused that I could not stop myself from poking about in sewers and going through each and every door to find out what was on the other side. It was the same when I visited the Minoan sites on Crete: I was most upset that the ‘Queen’s apartments’ in Knossos were cordoned off, and I had to charm my way in. The security guard explained that ‘Only the king and the President normally get to see this…’ To which I thought, ‘what the hell do they know or care about Bronze Age prehistory?’

This reminds me of a favourite Heaney poem of mine, ‘Personal Helicon’ which begins:

‘As a child, they could not keep me from wells…’

and ends:

‘…I rhyme
To see myself, to set the darkness echoing.’

From the collection Death of a Naturalist (1966)

And now for some music:

63 thoughts on “Don’t fence me in #dVerse #quadrille

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  1. Oh, I love this! Stay curious! 🙂
    I love the almost-rhyme between “corner” and “border.”

  2. Thank goodness curiosity never really killed the cat! As poets, we are curious about pretty much everything. Historians too. I love the choice of Heaney poem.

  3. There are three things that make life worth living: loved ones, music, and curiosity. Nice essay and insight into your character.

  4. As I read your poem, I thought this is definitely your autobiography!! Then your back story at the end was a wonderful summary of exactly that. Well done… and don’t ever lose your curiosity!

  5. Thought of this song as soon as I saw your title. The version I grew up with was sung by the Sons of the Pioneers. I like this one better. :).

    1. I think I know the version you mean but I didn’t know the name of the band! I do like this version too as it’s a bit cheeky!

    1. Even though Slovenia is beautiful, it’s been driving me crazy being no more than 10 miles from two national borders and not being able to cross them!

      1. Is it still the case, Ingrid? We are now able to go to Austria, Switzerland, and just recently Italy with negative tests, of course. My children are both under six, so they don’t need tests at all of those countries. I hope you will be back into border crossing soon, friend.

      2. I think we are also allowed with negative tests now. Planning to visit the UK in August, all being well!

  6. Turning 80 in September … I believe curiosity has helped keep me young, kept me moving, kept me engaged.
    I loved, loved your quadrille. Cheers to you and keep on being curious.

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