Fences

“The grass is not, in fact, always greener on the other side of the fence. Fences have nothing to do with it. The grass is greenest where it is watered. When crossing over fences, carry water with you and tend the grass wherever you may be.”

Robert Fulghum (1937 - ), It Was on Fire When I Lay Down on It


FENCES

It was a scene from The Horse Whisperer with Robert Redford I was watching that made me think about fences.

Fences, we build them to keep things from getting out;
We build them to keep others from getting in.
We build them of wood, of steel, of stone;
We build them short, we build them high.

They tell us without words, ‘this is mine, that is yours.”
They shout KEEP OUT, DANGER, and GO AWAY.
The electric, barbed, and razor wire.

Some of them have numbers on them,
200 in Little League, 320 in High School, and the pro’s
go higher. Going for the fence can be fun.

We see fences ever day, some locked, some not.
It’s the fences we don’t see that have me thinking.

It’s the fences we build in our lives. Some of them we have
Taken years to construct. Other we have put up in a hurry.

Some we build we call stereotypes and prejudices, rationalizing
Excuses to keep people out.
Some we build to keep people in. Some of these are the people we
Love and are afraid to lose.

We build fences so people can’t see into the backyard of our lives, hiding
Our weaknesses and insecurities.
We sit on the fence because we are afraid to commit, unsure what way to go,
Maybe wanting to appease everyone.

Fences have their purposes, but sometime don’t allow
For the proper perspective.
The greater our perspective, the greater our wisdom.
Picket fences are okay!