Welcome to Poetry Friday. I’m happy to host the round-up today. Please leave your links with Mr. Linky, at the end of this post.
We’ve had buckets of rain in Michigan the past few weeks. I’m attempting to put in a large native-plant garden in our side yard that was torn up after our septic tank debacle this past winter (we had to have an entire new system installed…yikes.) After the septic tank and drain field were installed, we hired some dudes to remove rocks and add top soil to jump-start the transformation of our construction site. Unfortunately, lots of rocks remained and the new soil dried to concrete. The spousal unit rented a tiller to break up the concrete and we finally managed to start planting. Now it has turned to muck with a lake in the middle. But we’ve started adding loads of leaf mulch to improve the soil, I continue to add more plants, and in a few years we will hopefully have something beautiful!
Fortunately I have lots of native plants to divide from other gardens, and have been digging up some near the lake that are pre-adapted to our mucky soil. One of my favorites in called Queen of the Prairie, which grows in wet soil and blooms with tall tufts of fluffy pink flowers. Are you wondering what all this gardening has to do with poetry? Soon I will come to the point!
The other evening I spied a gray tree frog huddled on a leaf of the Queen of the Prairie plant that I intended to divide for the new garden. I sent a photo to my kiddos and decided not to disturb the frog. The older kid replied, it’s the queen of the prairie! When I went back the next day, the frog was still perched on her leaf. She inspired this poem:
Queen of the Prairie
Squat on her throne
her highness inspects her soggy kingdom:
jeweled dewdrops, grassy swords,
towering ferns, muck-filled moat.
She squints through rings of spangled gold--
side to side,
front to back,
assured her realm is serene and calm.
No palace guards need
protect her warty crown--
her invisibility cloak shields her from harm
as she waits for the evening fanfare
of trilling suitors,
serenading her with song
to win the magical kiss
that transforms
one lowly prince
into splendid frog.
--Buffy Silverman
I am looking forward to visiting your blogs and reading your Friday Poetry posts! Please leave your links here:
Buffy! I love, ‘Queen of the Prairie!’ She is beautiful and regal and oh, so much a Buffy Silverman inspiration. I have loved your nature poetry for a long time. This is perfect. Her soggy kingdom and cloak of invisibility are delightful…and, I’d trade a prince for a frog any day these days!
Please accept me apologies for responding so very late to this PF post. I fully intended to read and comment before I left for my trip (a wonderful long weekend in Montreal) and never got to it. Thank you so much for posting my review of Jone’s ‘Tilt.’ I appreciate it and all you do in our PF community. I’m so glad to get back to this blog post and enjoy it. Perhaps there’s a new project for your queen?
PS. Septic tank issues are no joke! I’m wishing you lots of strong arm muscles to haul mulch and soil and all that’s needed over the new field.
Thanks for the froggy love, Linda–glad you stopped by and no need to apologize!
Sweet, Buffy! What a fun tribute to this frog in particular and your gardening adventures in general.
What joy to read this. The queen quietly hidden. The beauty of the queen of the prairie. And native plants. I love all of this post.
I luv your family’s support for Queen Green Skin! The foto is precious & so is your effort to create the natural pollinator boggy garden. It will be a jewel, as is your tribute to your neighbor Queen. Appreciations for hosting. I expect to post during the weekend & will add link, later , if I do.
Your fan, JAN
I luv your family’s support for Queen Green Skin! The foto is precious & so is your effort to create the natural pollinator boggy garden. It will be a jewel, as is your tribute to your neighbor Queen. Appreciations for hosting. I expect to post during the weekend & will add link, later , if I do.
Your fan, JAN
Buffy!!! Thanks so much for hosting! I love your poem, especially how you wove in the fairytale elements! I also love that amazing photograph!!!! So happy she is memorialized in a poem!
Buffy!!! Thanks so much for hosting! I love your poem, especially how you wove in the fairytale elements! I also love that amazing photograph!!!! So happy she is memorialized in a poem!
I admire the faith (and long-suffering effort) that you are putting into this native garden. Your Queen also approves, I can tell. You really leaned into the queendom and castle motif and I feel like the prince is already on the scene–you dubbed him The Spousal Unit! Thanks for hosting!
Buffy, your endurance with the weather has brought a new chapter to your native garden. I am impressed. I have two lovely magnolia trees around my garden wall but a nature takeover has lessened its leaves. The gardener is working to bring back its full beauty although I do have lovely blooms. Thanks for hosting. Your poem reminds me of a fairytale, especially the last two stanzas. Your word choices, imagery, and photos bring the event alive.
Hooray that the queen of your prairie has a benevolent overlord who allows her free reign! Lucky you to have such a healthy yard/garden/kingdom. Our hearts fell this week to see our neighbor spraying both for weeds and insects. We’re hoping the fireflies and butterflies who visit our yard won’t fall prey!
Buffy, the frog is the cutest, and what a wonderful discovery as you were clearing out. Love the twist…to win the magical kiss that transforms one lowly prince. into splendid frog. Hope as the week goes on you’re less soggy in Michigan, we’ve had a mix of weather here in CT. Hoping for sunny swimming days soon! Thanks for hosting a nature inspired Poetry Friday!
I planted natives in a few beds and they are loving our rainy weather. Your queen frog looks familiar. I love how they crouch down and can stay in the same place for a very long time. Thanks for hosting. I’m not sure that I’ll get anything posted, though.
Gardens bring us such good poem thoughts! And your queen makes me think of the brown mulch toad I found the other day. That friend may need a poem too. Thank you! I love that you make her a queen. And oh! I feel that new septic tank pain! We did that a few years ago and what a muddy muddy world it was for weeks and weeks. I am glad you have native plants to move around. Soon, this too will be a memory. Thank you for hosting, Buffy. I wish you joy this summer. xo, a.
Hi Buffy! Hats off to your poem and persistence. I’m still feeling rough this morning but enjoying reading the round-up! Thanks for hosting!
Buffy, thanks for hosting! Your poem, Queen of the Prairie, is wonderful. You captured her voice and attitude so well. And that last stanza is a winner! Loved the twist! Sorry about your flooding. I am sure in the end it will be beautiful 🙂
Buffy, thanks for hosting! Your Queen of the Prairie poem is wonderful. Perfect for this froggie inspiration. You capture her royal character so well and that last stanza is a gem!
Buffy, that little frog is adorable! We’re soggy here too… thanks so much for hosting. xo
Buffy! I’m sorry for the sogginess, but you’re defiinitely a survivor!
When I saw the first photo, my eyes saw not a frog, but a droplet of water…but when you zoomed in…what a sweet froggy she is.
I LOVE the surprise ending:
to win the magical kiss
that transforms
one lowly prince
into splendid frog.
Thanks for sharing your green, green world with us!
My post goes live tomorrow at 3:30am Central Time
Buffy! I’m sorry for the sogginess, but you’re defiinitely a survivor!
When I saw the first photo, my eyes saw not a frog, but a droplet of water…but when you zoomed in…what a sweet froggy she is.
I LOVE the surprise ending:
to win the magical kiss
that transforms
one lowly prince
into splendid frog.
Thanks for sharing your green, green world!
Buffy ~ You’ve inspired poem I’m going to write after I post here…it’s got to be about my “spousal unit”!
I love the suprise at the end of your very green poem:
to win the magical kiss
that transforms
one lowly prince
into splendid frog.
Perfection!
I love your story, your poem, and your photo. And I love the way she looks side to side and up and down with her spangled gold eyes, cuz she does! Good image!
Buffy, so sweet! This little queen of the prairie, resting on the queen of the prairie. What a lot of rain. I’m in Minneapolis this week, and they are in near drought conditions. We did have a day of pretty good rain. I hope that is helping. Your gardening sounds amazing! All the best as you grow these natural gardens. You all seem like good sports, making flowers of your septic tank debacle!
Lovely little queen, Buffy! Warty crown and all. Thanks for rounding us up this week.
Love the poem, Buffy – esp. the ending stanza! Sometimes I think I’d rather be a frog myself, than deal with the world’s craziness. Thanks for sharing, and hosting!
How wonderful to be subject of a queen so serene!
Thank you for hosting, Buffy. My link is live at midnight 🙂
Glad you’re finally making progress after the septic debacle! I’m sure the Queen of the Prairie is thrilled to have a special poem written in her honor. I wish I had trilling suitors to serenade me! Thanks for hosting this week!
Buffy, I love these lines about the kingdom:
jeweled dewdrops, grassy swords,
towering ferns, muck-filled moat.
Love it!
Also, I’m SO SORRY about the septic tank problems. Ugh! I’m glad you’re on the other side of that. And thanks for hosting this week!
Lovely poem Buffy for your “Queen of the Prairie,” love the “muck-filled moat!” Wonderful pics too, especially the closeup that’s a frog with character. Good luck with your transforming garden, and thanks for hosting us.
Buffy,
Ever since I found out you were an environmental educator like me, I’ve felt a kinship with you. I love your post about your native garden. We did one three years ago, and this year it looks great! It takes time. I got certified as a pollinator steward by Pollinator Partnership last year and will order a sign soon from Prairie Moon Nursery in Winona, MN. I love your tree frog poem, too! You go, girl! Unfortunately, my post this week is not as uplifting, but I will share, regardless. Thank you so much for hosting!
I’m a recent fan of prairie moon!