Letter: Lesson on poem’s true meaning would be helpful in wall debate

<p><strong>To the editor:</strong></p><p>James Brown’s letter (&quot;Fences make good neighbors still true today,&quot; March 11) was interesting and instructive in its simplistic parable about the U.S. border with Mexico. One wonders what kind of livestock he envisions residents of Mexico are.</p><p>In addition, he says nothing of our border with Canada. What kind of livestock live there? And why aren’t we building a fence along that side of the country?</p><p>But it is Mr. Brown’s final paragraph that is most enlightening. He cites the Robert Frost poem “Mending Wall.” Mr. Brown writes that the poem demonstrates how a wall that separates us from our neighbor leads to happiness. Sadly, either Mr. Brown has never read the poem or has missed the beautiful lesson that the poet offers.</p><p>The poem describes how each year two farmers on adjoining parcels come together to repair the rock wall that separates their fields. In New England, these rock walls are a common sight, and they are carefully constructed without mortar. Winter weather often causes some of the stones to fall or become dislodged. So they must be reconstructed each year.</p><p>The farmers agree to meet and work together at repairing the wall. They work together, often one on one side of the wall, the other on the opposite. They pick up stones and decide together how best to replace them. As they work, they talk, swap stories and often share a midday meal. By the end of the day they have created a stronger wall and deepened their friendship through cooperative effort.</p><p>Frost’s poem is, indeed, applicable to the situation along our country’s southern border but ONLY if you understand its real meaning. Instead of building a wall that keeps us apart, U.S. politicians should be working cooperatively with their Mexican counterparts to solve the underlying problems that are causing the need for a wall in the first place. Like the New England farmers of the poem, they need to talk, swap stories and share a meal as they seek solutions to their common problem.</p><p>Thank you, Mr. Brown, for bringing up Frost’s poem. I hope you will go the library and read it. It is endearing and instructive.</p><p><p><strong>Richard Gotshall</strong></p><p><p><strong>Franklin</strong></p>