These Have I Loved

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These have I loved:
the scattering promise of springtime sprouts in my wildflower garden;
the burbling waters of summer-lessened streams,
metallic-blue dragonflies zipping past ramrod straight cattails;
deep summer shade;
the musty smell of an old book, its thick, browning pages 
steadfastly preserving the author’s words
whether deserving of such honor or not;
well-earned rivulets of sweat streaking down one’s cheek 
after a spell of honest labor;
dusty brown feet sunk into the warm, soft dirt of a well-tended garden;
the triumph of pulling up a dandelion, its root completely intact;
an intriguing story;
old hymns sung in wobbling harmony by an age-burnished choir;
stained glass windows and the kaleidoscopic colors 
rendered by filtered sunlight;
short sermons;
old cemeteries, moss-covered tombstones with 
names scrubbed illegible by centuries of wear, 
family plots delineated with tired sagging fences;
curls of wood shavings, the crisp pitch scent released 
by newly planed pine boards;
antique woodworking tools with handles smoothed by 
generations of artisanal use;
well-brewed coffee and warmed almond croissants;
freshly churned buttermilk;
fresh baked bread;
a full recycling bin rolled to the curb;
unexpected blessings of chance, such as spotting a 
praying mantis ootheca just as its tiny residents emerge 
to face their next stage of life;
combing my fingers through the luxuriant undercoat 
of my fluffy white spitz; 
his generous smile as he greets my returns home;
stink eye glares from condescending cats;
time spent with my daughters, the delight of witnessing the loving, 
thoughtful women they have grown into;
grandchildren playing contentedly on a toy-strewn floor;
the smell of a newborn’s silky-soft head;
warm evenings, rocking chairs on the back deck, 
a curiously formed piece of wood to whittle…

All these have been my loves.

Inspired by a dVerse prompt from Kim:

Based on the second stanza of ‘The Great Lover’ by Rupert Brooke, “write a list poem that begins ‘These I have loved: ’ of the everyday things that are important or precious to you. Be specific, picking out tiny details, and don’t stop until you get to the bottom of the page. Finish with ‘All these have been my loves’.”

18 thoughts on “These Have I Loved”

  1. A delightful list poem, Maggie, which appeals to all the senses, especially ‘the burbling waters of summer-lessened streams’; ‘the musty smell of an old book’; and the feeling of ‘dusty brown feet sunk into the warm, soft dirt of a well-tended garden’.

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