Welcome to Poetry Friday!
I was ready to skip posting today, until Billy Collins came to the rescue.
I’ve been under the weather for a few days, lacking energy and stamina. This morning I felt better, and in the darkness of the early morning, the moon welcomed me back. I’ve been reading Water, Water by Billy Collins (highly recommend). I wrote in response to his poem “The Cardinal.”
Welcome Back
Finally free of fever fog,
a ribbon of light spreads across the desk,
a glad-you’re-back welcome
from the waning gibbous moon.
Even from my second story vantage point
through the thin layer of snow,
I knew the feeders were filled.
When my husband wakes
I’ll relay thanks from the birds,
how they now love him, too,
how the moon welcomed me back.
Draft, RoseCappelli2025
Tricia has the roundup today at The Miss Rumphius Effect. Stop by for some typewriter nostalgia and lots more poetry goodness.
Imagine the Possibilities 
Rose, this is so beautiful. I love the way you tell us that your husband filled the bird feeders while you were sick. Such a lovely poem. I’m glad you were inspired by Billy today.
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Thanks, Denise.
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Oh Rose, I love “ribbon of light” –and the intimacy of sharing the bird love with your husband…a nice Billy Collins touch.
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Thank you!
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Oof, how that exhaustion resonates. Welcome back, Rose. May that ribbon of light make this weekend an extra gift for you, your honey, and the birds.
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Thanks, Tanita.
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A bit of Billy Collins inspiration is always a productive headspace to enter, Rose. Love the use of the word-gibbous, a word I am forever indebted to Annie Dillard who first brought to my attention. Your poem is clearly one of thanks and gratitude and is written with the same keen for observation so prominent in Billy’s poems.
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A bit of Billy Collins inspiration is always a productive headspace to enter, Rose. Love the use of the word-gibbous, a word I am forever indebted to Annie Dillard who first brought to my attention. Your poem is clearly one of thanks and gratitude and is written with the same keen for observation so prominent in Billy’s poems.
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Thank you, Alan.
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A friend just gave me “Water, Water”, Rose, now your post tells me to get to it! I don’t know what Billy wrote (will look) but your poem feels like what I’ve read in the past, so beautifully real in the moment, a comment from your love for your husband via the moon. It is lovely!
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Thanks, Linda. I think you’ll like Water, Water. Billy Collins is a master at showing how the smallest moment in time or the most fleeting thought can become a poem.
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I know how you feel. When I have a fever, I wonder if I will ever get better. I love how you can see that the birds are cared for, so you relax. You are cared for, too.
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So sorry you’ve been under the weather. I love that your husband is now going to also have a connection to the birds. 🙂
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Rose, I am glad that you are feeling better. The moon and birds welcome you back because of your husband’s act of kindness. The first two lines of your poem are sad but hopeful. It is difficult to feel ill.
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Rose, I am sorry that fever fog came into your life but your second line was hopeful and led you to a lovely, tender poem. You are welcomed back to life by the kindness of your husband. May you continue to feel better.
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Awwwwww. That IS love. Sweet. I’m glad you’re feeling better. I almost skipped this weekend too. Too much going on right now.
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Very sweet! I hope you continue to feel better, Rose.
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Ahh…Billy Collins to the rescue! Perfect!
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Love the ending to your poem Rose, a welcome from the moon how splendid! Hope you continue to heal and feel better! ❤️🩹
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Thanks, Michelle.
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Oh, those final two lines, Rose! Perfection.
I’m glad you’ve started feeling better. Get fully well soon!
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Oh, those final two lines, Rose! Perfection.
I’m glad you’ve started feeling better. Get fully well soon!
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Oh, those final two lines, Rose! Perfection.
I’m glad you’ve started feeling better. Get fully well soon!
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Yikes, so sorry I posted 3x! At my end, it looked like WordPress wasn’t letting me log in. Consider it three times the cheering! 😀
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No problem, Karen. Sometimes I have trouble with WordPress, too.
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Such a sweet love poem–for your husband and for the birds! I’m so glad you’re feeling better now and that you were inspired to write.
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