This summer I participated in Tabatha Yeatts’ summer poetry swap. My poetry swappers were more on top of the swap than moi–they sent beautiful poems and cool swag. I felt guilty when the deadlines whizzed by, but I finally managed to get with the program. Next week I’ll share the poems that I belatedly sent out. This week I’m sharing my wonderful gifts.
In June I received these flowers bursting with summer sunshine, and this joyful poem from Linda:
Sunshine
I rose in the dark to greet the sun –
wanting to know if I enjoyed its “good morning”
as much as I loved its “good night”?
Bird song clamored for the sun
while soft edges of trees became visible
like darkroom photographs emerging.
The colors changed sky from gray
to cream, peach, indigo-
into blue.
Broad streams of gold wrote onto the blue,
designing new pictures minute by minute.
The sun sparkled, insects woke and flew
in this, goodnight’s opposing view.
I felt joy to know the whole day lay before me.
–Linda Baie, all rights reserved
Next I got to sip some tea and contemplate the clouds in Mary Lee‘s garden, courtesy of this poem and photograph:
GRACE
Sitting on the edge
of the third porch step,
hot tea beside me,
I ignore the garden’s weeds
and focus instead on the giant sunflower’s head
turned hopefully
toward the cloudy east.
There’s grace in knowing
the sun is there
even if it’s not showing.
I’m still learning to be that aware.
–Mary Lee Hahn, all rights reserved
Irene sent this poem inspired by her visit to the Butterfly House at Callaway Gardens and as a response to “Consider the Dragon,” a poem that I had written for her (along with some cool butterfly house swag!)
Consider the Chrysalis
Some darknesses
need not be unraveled.
Leave them to dangle,
these jeweled lockets
so tight with pain
and promise.
Allow them to
unclasp themselves,
to unfold.
Let them rest uninterrupted
before they harden
into bright truths
and flutter
flap
fly
across the waiting sky.
–Irene Latham, all rights reserved.
My final gift was from Donna, who wrote a poem about a dragonfly, and had it printed on a tote bag with the photograph that’s on the header of my blog! Very cool…I found out that you can’t scan a tote bag, so you’ll have to take my word on this one. But you can enjoy Donna’s Dragonfly poem:
Dragonfly,
I wonder why
You look the way you do –
Heaven’s wings
The lightest things
To flit across the blue;
Pencil thin,
No friendly grin,
Yet still I’m friends with you!
Eyes immense
With stare intense,
You sleep amid the dew:
Legs that clamp,
Big mouths that champ
And turn your prey to stew.
Glad I’m tall
And you are small
Or I’d be scared of you!
–Donna JT Smith, all rights reserved
Heidi has the round-up today, where you’ll find many more poetry gifts!
Oh such beauties! I appreciate you sharing these!
What Michelle said!
You ARE lucky, Buffy, but so are we for knowing you. These thoughtful gifts are proof.
What beautiful tastes of summer! These poets and pictures are breathtaking. Thank you for sharing your gifts.
What thoughtful, appropriate poems for naturalist-you! I enjoyed them all, but chuckled at Donna’s dragonfly fears. (I never thought of what it would be like to be in a dragonfly’s presence if I was the small one.)
A great selection. I find poetry about nature to be so thought provoking, carrying so many veiled meanings. Irene Latham’s words are powerful…
“Some darknesses
need not be unraveled.
Leave them to dangle,
these jeweled lockets
so tight with pain
and promise.”
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for stopping by, Alice–I agree, Irene’s poem is one to savor!
So many thoughtful, utterly present facets of nature in these poems, Buffy! Love how they reflect you that way. Love “jeweled lockets,” “bird song clamoring for the sun,” and Mary Lee’s moment of grace. I’m with Donna about the size of dragonflies!
And thanks again to you, Tabatha, for organizing us!
Those are a feast of summer’s best parts. I’m sure you’ll have written some awesome ones.
They were indeed a feast (and such a treat to find in my mailbox!)
Thanks for sharing my poem today. I’ve been off-grid for a while, but hoping to post today later!
I love that you got lots of nature poems! This swap has been wonderful – yet again!
I guess I’ve got a reputation as a nature gal? Thanks again for the tote and the wonderful dragonfly poem!
Thanks for sharing my poem, Buffy, and I love the others, so filled with nature’s goodness.
Thank you for writing it, Linda!
Wow, what a bunch of treasures you raked in! These are all so beautiful in their very different ways. I love Mary Lee’s last stanza in particular. A good thought to keep. 🙂
Yep–awareness and appreciation are life-long learning goals!