The last leaflets cling high on the trunk of Black Walnut. I press my back into the grass, imagine a string, hung like a line from the golden tremble of leaves to the red trembling of my heart.
You are a poet! OF COURSE you are a poet. This is so lovely. "Aerial bombardment of autumn" - so good. And I am right there with you wishing always for more walks in the woods . . . and also wishing for the pleasure of reading more of your words.
This is splendid Rebecca! I like the cadence and phrasing. "When a mossy bed encircling the oak/compelled me to the ground/bringing you down with me..." I felt that as I read it, and "we gazed up through the decades of canopy /into the infinitely blue October sky.." Yourpoem holds together so well. Thank you! Here's to more walks in the woods and more gazing!
I love your poem so much, Larry, and it immediately brought to mind this gorgeous poem, which I believe is by Marwan Mahoul, though I've seen it misattributed to Mahmoud Darwish. In either case, it's by a brilliant Palestinian poet!
"In order for me to write poetry that isn’t political
Thank you Lisa, and for this beautiful poem. Were there no warplanes anywhere. I have come to know so many Palestinian students and their families, as well as Jewish beloveds and kindreds from Iran, Lebanon, Irag, Afghanistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Tunisia, Turkey, Qatar...and my heart breaks repeatedfly at the pain and suffering inflicted on all the dear people in each of those places. I am very grateful for you, your wonderful sister, and the dear poets in this community you have gathered, people of spirit and heart, grace and gentleness who shine their own unique light into the world. You are a blessing, friend.
You have such a gift for seeing good in everyone, Larry. Thank you for all your kind words and for the beauty and generosity you bring into this space!
Oh wow, Larry, this is really powerful. I’m struck my the notion of all of us having the “same brave sky” (because it’s not the sky’s fault, even when it appears to be the source of the demons), and the sky “holding space for all of our hopes and fear to collide.” Really feeling this one today & right there with you hoping for love (and/or embargoes, and/or whatever else it takes) to fade the demons away.
Thank you Rebekah. What a kind and brilliant note. You are so right, it is not ther sky's or the earth's fault for all of the death and destruction we rain upon it and each other. It makes me even mroe grateful for the powerful and gracious presence of people like you and your amazing sister in this world in my own life. Blessings to you, friend.
I was remembering how I used to lay out beside our pool when I was growing up and watch the sky. I did it all the time and your poem reminds me that it’s been far too long since I’ve done that.
LeeAnn, your comment brought to mind lying down and looking up at the sky as a kid--alone and with friends. It always felt like perfectly wonderful thing to do. Perhaps we should have a lying down and look up practice!
Of course you do! I imagine it is a staple of forest bathing! Thank you Lisa, for leading us to and sometimes back to, such wonderful practices, places and feelings.
Thank you, Margaret Ann! I almost ended with the much more flippant and prosaic "I think maybe I am a fish," but I was happy when I landed on this instead.
What a wonderfully creative poem! I am glad you lied down and gazed upwards--and look what comes! "reeled to the sky" is a marvelous ending! Good luck wit the car, and the stessnotonous!
What you proposed as simply a walk in the woods
Turned into something more
When a mossy bed encircling the oak
Compelled me to the ground,
Bringing you down with me.
Leaning back into the trunk's firm embrace,
we gazed up through the decades of canopy
into the infinitely blue October sky.
As the acorns plunked to the forest floor all around us,
an aerial bombardment of autumn,
I proclaimed "If one hits us, we can make a wish."
My wish is always for more walks in the woods.
You are a poet! OF COURSE you are a poet. This is so lovely. "Aerial bombardment of autumn" - so good. And I am right there with you wishing always for more walks in the woods . . . and also wishing for the pleasure of reading more of your words.
This is splendid Rebecca! I like the cadence and phrasing. "When a mossy bed encircling the oak/compelled me to the ground/bringing you down with me..." I felt that as I read it, and "we gazed up through the decades of canopy /into the infinitely blue October sky.." Yourpoem holds together so well. Thank you! Here's to more walks in the woods and more gazing!
“Decades of canopy” — so lovely!
This poem started out one waty and went in anotehr direction. That happens!
One Sky
^
Autumn sky billows above me
painted masterpiece of blue and white,
snowy owl clouds forming shapes
from beyond the arc.
I melt into this wild open sky.
^
Somewhere, oceans away,
a child looks up at their sky,
wonders when the next
angels of death will come.
metal demons with no face, no heart.
^
We are all gazing at the same brave sky
from different perches and vantage points,
boundless beacon of creation holding space
for all of our hopes and fears to collide.
If only love could fade the demons away.
I love your poem so much, Larry, and it immediately brought to mind this gorgeous poem, which I believe is by Marwan Mahoul, though I've seen it misattributed to Mahmoud Darwish. In either case, it's by a brilliant Palestinian poet!
"In order for me to write poetry that isn’t political
I must listen to the birds
and in order to hear the birds
the warplanes must be silent."
Thank you Lisa, and for this beautiful poem. Were there no warplanes anywhere. I have come to know so many Palestinian students and their families, as well as Jewish beloveds and kindreds from Iran, Lebanon, Irag, Afghanistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Tunisia, Turkey, Qatar...and my heart breaks repeatedfly at the pain and suffering inflicted on all the dear people in each of those places. I am very grateful for you, your wonderful sister, and the dear poets in this community you have gathered, people of spirit and heart, grace and gentleness who shine their own unique light into the world. You are a blessing, friend.
You have such a gift for seeing good in everyone, Larry. Thank you for all your kind words and for the beauty and generosity you bring into this space!
Thank you Lisa. It is a very easy thing to do.
Oh wow, Larry, this is really powerful. I’m struck my the notion of all of us having the “same brave sky” (because it’s not the sky’s fault, even when it appears to be the source of the demons), and the sky “holding space for all of our hopes and fear to collide.” Really feeling this one today & right there with you hoping for love (and/or embargoes, and/or whatever else it takes) to fade the demons away.
Thank you Rebekah. What a kind and brilliant note. You are so right, it is not ther sky's or the earth's fault for all of the death and destruction we rain upon it and each other. It makes me even mroe grateful for the powerful and gracious presence of people like you and your amazing sister in this world in my own life. Blessings to you, friend.
Best therapy of all.
No bait required.
Excellent painting, lisa
Reel on.
.
.
.
.
Often when I fish
I "forget" to bait the hook.
It keeps God's path clear.
Thank you so much, Chuck! And oh how I love your haiku! "It keeps God's path clear."
Thanks.
I like doing the haikus.
Reeled to the sky is a lovely affect.
Thank you so much! 💙
Agreed! So good.
This is the best I can do at the VRBO I’m staying in right now. It’s a lovely place but I feel a little out of my element, as do my dogs.
.
Scrabbling for approximations
of wild: the towering bank
of houseplants,
the three windows,
the snarled cedars
past the fenceline,
doubly-glazed and held in place
like any other picture.
"Held in place / like any other picture!" I love this.
I was remembering how I used to lay out beside our pool when I was growing up and watch the sky. I did it all the time and your poem reminds me that it’s been far too long since I’ve done that.
I hope you find a just-right moment and a just-right sky to go enjoy that again!
LeeAnn, your comment brought to mind lying down and looking up at the sky as a kid--alone and with friends. It always felt like perfectly wonderful thing to do. Perhaps we should have a lying down and look up practice!
I really think we should! i started doing this when I got sick a few years back, and I've never completely given it up since.
Of course you do! I imagine it is a staple of forest bathing! Thank you Lisa, for leading us to and sometimes back to, such wonderful practices, places and feelings.
I think this is a wonderful idea. I’m going to go lie down on our bench outside today.
Great work!
Thank you, Gareth!
Oh, wow. This is gorgeous. "I am/reeled to the sky"--what an ending.
Thank you, Margaret Ann! I almost ended with the much more flippant and prosaic "I think maybe I am a fish," but I was happy when I landed on this instead.
I’m glad you did. Not that flippant and prosaic doesn’t have its place sometimes, but this poem is so delicate and lovely as it ended up.
Thank you so much, dear!
Your poem feels so soothing.
What a lovely compliment! Thank you, A.
What a wonderfully creative poem! I am glad you lied down and gazed upwards--and look what comes! "reeled to the sky" is a marvelous ending! Good luck wit the car, and the stessnotonous!
Thank you so much, Larry! I hope your week includes little to nothing of the stressotonous variety!