Imagine the Possibilities

Earlier this week I noticed that a lot of my daily snippets centered around light – morning light, candle light, feelings connected to light. I started to gather those thoughts into a poem, but it wasn’t working as well as I had hoped. Then, on Wednesday, I heard Amanda Gorman’s recitation of her poem “The Hill We Climb.” As so many have remarked, her words were exquisite and moving.

I printed Amanda’s words and poured over them many times, each reading sparking a new feeling and understanding. The phrases about light were the ones that touched me most deeply, so I decided to create a nestling from “The Hill We Climb.”

Light

when day comes we find light
the dawn is ours
we lift our gaze to what stands before us
we reach out our arms to one another
to offer hope and laughter
to move to what shall be
there is always light
if we are brave enough to see it
if we are brave enough to be it

Light and hope. Thank you, Amanda.

Laura has the poetry roundup today here where you can learn more about Amanda Gorman and read more wonderful poetry.

A few days ago I found a pile of feathers near one of the birdfeeders. I examined them closely and wondered what bird had lost them. There were quite a few, so I don’t think it ended well for the owner. What was the story behind them, I wondered?

I took a few feathers inside to compare to online pictures and descriptions. Since I know which birds are frequent backyard visitors, I narrowed down the choices quickly. But, I’m still not certain which one offered up those feathers. I did find out, however, that it is illegal to keep the feathers of non-game birds, so when I was finished with my poem I returned them to nature. I recently wrote a picture book manuscript that mentions a child repurposing bird feathers she finds in her backyard. Maybe I should rethink that story.

Feathers

Who’s been here?
A mess of feathers leaves a clue.
Brown and black that make a stripe,
Downy fluff
Of gray and white.
Was it dove
With her woeful coo?
Or maybe wren, with his  
tea-kettle-tea-kettle-tea-kettle woo?
I wonder –
Did they get to say goodbye?

Margaret has today’s Poetry Round Up on Reflections on the Teche. Be sure to check it out!

This time of year the birdfeeders don’t stay filled for long. Cardinals and chickadees vie for space. Squirrels wait patiently, or not so patiently, for treats to scatter. I use a combination of different types of feed – fruits and berries and nuts – that produce such a delicious aroma I want to try it myself! I think I would enjoy it as much as they do.

Filling the Feeder

I tread
over frozen grass
to the feeder.

I settle the can,
lift the lid,
fill the air with lusciousness –
cranberries, blueberries,
bits of orange
mingle with cashews, peanuts,
sunflower seeds

I scoop,
scatter,
sniff, sniff, sniff

Oh-
to be among my feathered friends
and all the delectable deliciousness

Sylvia has today’s poetry roundup at Poetry for Children where you can also find a sneak peek at the poetry books coming out in 2021.

Later this month my grandson will celebrate his third birthday, so I’ve been working on his poem. I got the idea of writing a poem for each of my grandchildren’s birthdays from a friend who has been writing poems for her grandchildren for years. I think about something special that we did together, or something I noticed about them, or really anything that might have meaning in years to come. This year the pandemic has kept us apart more than we’ve been together, and on those special times when we do get together we are limited in our activities. But one thing we always do is take a walk. Alex loves to be outside and explore nature. He delights in showing us his neighborhood and the things he has discovered, and he is fascinated by drains. So today I’m sharing the poem I wrote for Alex’s third birthday.

Around the Block

Let’s take a walk
around the block
and see what we can see.

Pick up a stick,
a bloom,
a stone –
a treasure to take home.

Wonder what’s
inside that drain –
leaves,
or mud,
or bugs?

Take my hand
and we will learn
together,
you and me.

Buffy Silverman has today’s Poetry Roundup here where you can find a fabulous interview with Janet Wong and Sylvia Vardell, plus a chance to win a copy of Hop To It: Poems to Get You Moving. As always, there will be links to lots and lots of wonderful poems.