Category Archives: poetry

Spring Harvest

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As my native habitat garden takes shape, I’ve been drawn to it almost daily. In the wet fall I checked for problematic standing water at the base of the young crabapple tree and marveled at the resilience of rain-battered kinnikinnick. In winter I fretted over snow-covered Oregon grape and ice-encased flowering currant.

As spring unfolded, I searched bare twigs for the slightest hint of green, watched tiny sprigs rise from the ground and swell into verdant foliage; and now – finally – flowers are maturing, bugs are pollinating and wild strawberries are sending out runners to claim yet more ground.  

I always considered autumn to be my favorite season with its crisp rain-filtered air, crunchy carpets of fallen leaves and trees dressed in flame-inspired palettes. Now, I believe my favorite season is whichever currently holds sway over my everchanging garden.

lupines point skyward

blooming flower moon beckons

who will eclipse whom?

For dVerse poets Haibun Monday: flower moon.

kinnikinnick
Oregon grape
red flowering currant
wild strawberries
large leaved lupine

The Afterbeat Waltz

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[to the Tune of the Tennessee 
Waltz (two-three) (one-two 
and-a)]


When I was Seventeen
High school band Agony
Playing the French horn, you
See (two-three), (one-two) while the

Rest of the Instruments
Soared with the Melody
I got the Slow after-
Beats (two-three) (one-two). 

Chorus:
I re-
Member the Days in the
Stuffy band Room as the
Teacher's baTon counted
Three (two-three) (one-two) I would

Wait for that Moment when my
French horn would Shine as I
Sweetly played Two after-
Beats (two-three) (one-two) 

instru-
Mental interLude here. Find your 
Horn, play aLong dear, and
Soon you will See what I 
Mean (two-three) (one-two). If you're

Lost in the Melody
Listen for Me and I’ll
Carry you Through to the 
End (two-three) (one-two). 

Oh the
Waltz would start Playing with the
Saxophones Braying, the
Oboe would Try to com-
Pete (two-three) (one-two). Clari-

Netists’ reeds Squeaked as the
Flautist's breath Peaked, and the 
Trombones’ spit Rattled and
Leaked (two-three) (one-two).

Chorus:
I re-
Member the Days in the
Stuffy band Room as the
Teacher's baTon counted
Three (two-three) (one-two) I would

Wait for that Moment when my
French horn would Shine as I
Sweetly played Two after-
Beats (two-three) (one).

dVerse poetics: Meet the Bar ~ Waltzing

Blue Sky

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The morning is spent, and me with it.

Hours of pulling weeds, spreading wood chips,

planning which shrubs to transplant where…

Some call it gardening.

It’s blatant manipulation, really;

rearranging earth’s flora to satisfy human aesthetic.

From my chair on the porch, I look skyward.

“Ah,” muse has joined me. “The sky is yours to ponder.”

I ponder muse instead. “The sky is mine?”

A scrub jay has been eavesdropping.

REE REE REALLY!?! his strident call inquires.

He flits away, a blue blur among green leaves.

WHO WHOOO WHO, questions a collared dove

from a tree further distant.

Who says the sky is yours?

I glare at muse. “See what you started?”

A lone grey pigeon cuts expanding circles above.

Owning the sky, eh, muse?

Usually, the homing pigeons fly in multiples.

Raised by a neighbor, I am told,

who lets them out regularly for exercise.

Are they his, I wonder? Or does he – in reality –

manipulate earth’s fauna for human enjoyment?

In the course of fifteen minutes three jets have passed overhead,

marring the bright blue sky with jagged white contrails.

Two big crows eye me from a nearby fence.

“No,” I sigh. “The sky is not ours.”

We just pollute earth’s elements for human convenience.

I’ve pondered enough. I’m going inside.

“The sky is mine,” I scoff, shaking my head.

“– to ponder… I said ‘to ponder’,” muse mutters.

“It was just a thought that struck me, like — out of the blue.”

“Tell that to the birds,” I say.

for dVerse poetics challenge: Blue Tuesday

Some magnets don’t stick

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Back in November of 2018, I discovered the joys of magnet poetry, and this website that facilitates playing (poeming?) online. I have a vague recollection that I was so excited, I committed to writing a magnet poem at least once a month. That lasted exactly two months.

So I’m recommitting to, uh, at least one more poem. Since 2018, they’ve added the option of choosing specific topics, and so the words that are “drawn” are easier to turn into something cohesive. For this poem, I used the “nature” option.

Nature Song

Breathe as the ancient forest.

Follow every warm wind.

Shine like a wandering soul,

and the rest is but a song.

Check out the link above and play along.

I Recant

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Today’s poetry challenge at dVerse is to write a palinode. As host Grace explains:

A palinode or palinody is an ode or song that retracts or recants a view or sentiment to what the poet wrote in a previous poem...

The writing challenge is to write a palinode. This can be in relation to a poem you have written before (please link or include prior poem)...

My prior poem, which I posted on April 13 of this year is Spring Reveal:

Whose legs these are I think I know;

Encased in jeans all winter, though.

Today I’ll shave, first time this year!

The spring reveal: legs white as snow.

And the palinode:

These legs of mine I will not show

Although it’s spring, it’s way too cold.

I’ll not yet shave as legs with hair

Are warmer than when they are bare.

Newborn

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You slip into the crook of my arm as I recline on the sofa, your diapered bottom cradled like a football. I can feel your body beneath my hand rise and fall with your breathing. You – most likely – can hear my heartbeat as your head rests peacefully on my chest. I could, I think, sit like this forever.

Budding hearts of spring.

All is new; life pulses through

Veins and vines and views.

______________________

dVerse haibun: The Present Moment

AtoZ: Q ~ Asking the right questions

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qualified queries

quell questionable outcomes

quantitatively

Q is for Query

#AtoZChallenge: 26 posts in April, topics to proceed alphabetically. Creating a theme for one’s blog challenge is optional. My theme for 2021: a three line alliteration each day (5-7-5, haiku-ish) with the first letter of each line the same as the letter of the day.

AtoZ: O ~ in the nose of the beholder

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onerous odor

objectively off-putting

opine upwind, please

O is for odor.

#AtoZChallenge: 26 posts in April, topics to proceed alphabetically. Creating a theme for one’s blog challenge is optional. My theme for 2021: a three line alliteration each day (5-7-5, haiku-ish) with the first letter of each line the same as the letter of the day.

AtoZ: N ~ sleeping on the job

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night watchman drowsing

nearing netherworldly realms

nodding, nodding, gone.

N is for nightmare.

#AtoZChallenge: 26 posts in April, topics to proceed alphabetically. Creating a theme for one’s blog challenge is optional. My theme for 2021: a three line alliteration each day (5-7-5, haiku-ish) with the first letter of each line the same as the letter of the day.

AtoZ Challenge: M is for Moon

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milky midday moon

morphs into midnight magic

melts to morning dew

M is for moon.

#AtoZChallenge: 26 posts in April, topics to proceed alphabetically. Creating a theme for one’s blog challenge is optional. My theme for 2021: a three line alliteration each day (5-7-5, haiku-ish) with the first letter of each line the same as the letter of the day.