Today is Poetry Friday and it snuck up on me! I wasn’t sure I would have anything to post, but then I thought about how I often get inspiration from other poets – a word or line can sometimes spark an idea.
I just finished rereading Lace and Pyrite by Ross Gay and Aimee Nezhukumatathil as part of my personal Sealy Challenge. It’s a series of epistolary poems the two poets exchanged about their gardens during the course of a year and is filled with delicious phrases. One in particular, “…the mysterious visitors arriving at night” reminded me of the curiosity I feel about the night visitors to my garden. One night last week when I ventured out to see if I could catch a shooting star, I wondered if I might encounter any mysterious visitors, and if so, just what would I do? So I borrowed Aimee’s line and got to work.
Hoping
to catch sight of a shooting star
darting through the midnight sky,
I step cautiously to the center of the yard,
past the three maples steadfastly standing guard
and the nest of sleeping finches.
I wonder if
the mysterious visitors arriving at night
will leap over,
scurry under,
wiggle through
to keep watch with me.
What a sight that would be—
all of us, eyes toward the inky sky…
hoping
Draft, 2024RoseCappelli
Janice has the roundup today at Salt Verse City. Be sure to stop by for a wonderful review of A Walk in the Woods by Nikki Grimes and Jerry and Brian Pinkney, as well as lots more poetry goodness.
Imagine the Possibilities 
Borrowing a line often gets me out of a rut. I love how you take us through your wandering and wondering in this poem. We are all looking up at the stars.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Margaret. I’m working my way through Words That Mend – such a powerful and soul-baring book. Will post a review soon.
LikeLiked by 1 person
How cool that Gay and Nezhukumatathil exchanged epistolary poems about their gardens! I can see how you would find that inspiring. Your maples and finches are great details that bring the reader into your yard. Nice, Rose!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ooh, let’s talk about this one next week — such fun line breaks and meter. I love the landing of “and the nest of sleeping finches” to end the first stanza — and using your title to start the poem!
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a lovely image your poem creates! I can picture that hopeful little nighttime community in your yard. ❤️
LikeLiked by 1 person
Your poem puts me there, in your back yard, gazing at the stars. I wonder how the deer and squirrels, maybe the earthworms, are influenced by the stars and moon and watch from their safe place. Love the maples standing guard and the sleeping finches. Great setting in your poem.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I wonder that, too!
LikeLike
This is just beautiful! You paint a vivid picture for us, and I love the adverbs as you ponder the possible visitors to your garden.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love reading about that exchange, Rose, and your response, a night mystery that can bring some exciting noticings! I love that you might have ‘companions’! Sometimes I see a rabbit moving slowly through my garden! Once, long ago, a coyote came lumbering down the street, but none lately!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have to admit that I am sometimes a little fearful of what might appear in the night.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s okay, Rose, good to be at least a little careful!
LikeLike
Rose, wondering is such a great endeavor and it worked well for your poem. I am always checking which outside bandit would chomp at my beautiful flower beds. I have seen the rabbits and deer during the daylight being bold enough to visit my lawn but no animal has done that in front of me. I would be anxious about searching in the night for any culprits.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve seen deer and rabbits during the day, too. They seem to be getting bolder!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sadly, our library system doesn’t own Lace and Pyrite.
On another note, I can totally relate to your hesitation about joining other night visitors in your yard! We have possums, skunks, and raccoons. On the other side of the fence in the easement, deer travel from secret place to secret place.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love that you borrowed a line from that collection. It’s such a great book!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Rose, This is a poem that captures my heart. We live rurally and have all kinds of critters that visit our yard at night. When I’m brave enough to venture down to our dock to view the skies (we got to see the Northern Lights earlier this year), I bring someone with me. The wonder is still there!
LikeLiked by 1 person
How wonderful to see the Northern Lights!
LikeLike
Love your wondering as you ventured out. And this line is lovely, “all of us, eyes toward the inky sky . . . ” . I also like the way you used the title as your last line of the poem. I felt like I was standing in the dark with you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Ramona.
LikeLike