workshop on the hill

arqios

 


"workshop on the hill"

 

After his years in the guild,
the young crafter chose a rise
just beyond the bend
where the road split
toward the plains on one side
and the high country on the other.

The hill was not grand,
but it held a view
that let him see travellers
long before they arrived,
their figures small against the horizon,
their pace telling him
what kind of work
they might need.

A stand of hardwood trees
sheltered the slope,
roots gripping the earth
with the quiet confidence
of things that have weathered
more seasons than men remember.
Behind them,
a small orchard grew —
stunted at first,
then steady,
fed by a spring
that rose from the ground
with a soft insistence
and wandered downhill
as a narrow stream.

He built his dwelling
where the trees opened
into a natural clearing,
and beside it
a workshed
with wide doors
and a bench long enough
to hold whatever task
the road might bring.

There was no signboard.
Neither emblem.
Nor call for customers.
Only the steady rhythm
of metal being shaped,
carried on the wind
to anyone passing by.

Travellers learned the place
by word alone:
the hill workshop,
the one with the orchard,
the one where the stream begins,
the one where the crafter
listens before he works.

Some came for repairs.
Some came for tools.
Some came simply
to rest under the trees
and drink from the spring
before continuing on.

And the crafter,
now no longer an apprentice,
found that the hill
taught him as much
as the guild ever had —
how to read the road,
how to read the seasons,
how to shape metal
in a place where distance
and stillness
meet.

 

 

 

 

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  • Author: crypticbard (Pseudonym) (Offline Offline)
  • Published: May 26th, 2026 04:59
  • Comment from author about the poem: An allegorical composition which may resonate with several life pursuits.
  • Category: Unclassified
  • Views: 28
  • Users favorite of this poem: Friendship, Goldfinch60, Tristan Robert Lange
Comments +

Comments12

  • sorenbarrett

    This poem presents a serene and peaceful image. Schooling may take many forms each suited to the art or guild. Proper placement and marketing make for success where charity becomes easy in the lap of plenty. This poem almost a parable speaks loudly in a soft voice. Well done Cryptic

    • arqios

      Many thanks, Soren. That sure is true 🙏🕊️

      • sorenbarrett

        My pleasure Cryptic

      • Katie B.

        Beautiful and meaningful tale.

        • arqios

          Thank you dear Katie B. 🙏🕊️

        • nephilim56 ( Norman Dickson)

          a wonderful journey

        • David Wakeling

          What a wonderful story.It can go appreciated on many levels.As a clever poem or a statement on the human condition.It is better to learn from nature than school. I enjoyed reading mi amigo

          • arqios

            Many thanks amigo. 🙏🕊️

          • Thomas W Case

            There’s a quiet dignity in this—no chasing, no shouting, just a man letting his work speak and the road answer back.
            Feels like he found something better than success up there… a steady life that doesn’t need proving.

            • arqios

              Thanks Thomas, a content and productive, peopled life by the look of it. Cheers🙏🕊️

            • orchidee

              Good write A.

              • arqios

                Many Thanks O

              • Kevin Hulme

                A good little Story going on here, that could be made into a Film. Enjoyed.

                • arqios

                  Nice! Now all we need is a film crew and a keen producer. Any takers? 🕊️🙏👍🏻

                • Friendship

                  Well written

                  • arqios

                    Thank you

                  • Neville



                    this is indeed an allegorical composition which resonates with several of my own life pursuits .. it aint half bad either squire .. much respect.. N

                    • arqios

                      Thanks, N. An allegorical summation of a life's curriculum. Most valued estimation. 🕊️🙏

                    • Goldfinch60

                      Such a wonderful write Rik, I was really pulled into these words and I have made it a favourite which I do so rarely.

                      Andy

                      • arqios

                        Truly humbling, Andy. Thank you🕊️🙏

                      • Tristan Robert Lange

                        Arqios, this feels deeply peaceful to me...not passive peace, but earned peace. The kind built slowly through patience, craft, and listening to the world instead of rushing through it. There’s real wisdom resting quietly inside this piece. Beautiful work, my friend. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦‍⬛

                        • arqios

                          Most grateful, Tittu; thanks🙏🏻🕊️

                        • NafisaSB

                          A man committed to his work - seeking no attention - letting his work speak for him - what a wonderful way of presenting how actions can speak louder than words, and advertisement is not always necessary.

                          • arqios

                            Sometimes, advertising backfires. And that could be a horrible thing. Thanks Safina 🙏🕊️

                            • NafisaSB

                              you are welcome, and yes I agree it does backfire- especially when it's loud and almost forced down your throats...



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