I've decided to join Beverly A Baird, Linda Schueler and others in a "year long poetry practice – on the first Friday of each Month," when they, and anyone else who joins, will be writing a poem based on the theme of the month and a photo taken relating to that theme.
You can find out more about this here.
The first time, I didn't quite get the photo part right, so I sent a half decent draft of my poem to my partner, Randy Rotheisler, and a friend, Ron Peace, both gifted photographers, asking for images to accompany it. It was fun and they are keen to continue, so I'm continuing this process.
A couple of weeks ago we were in Vancouver and the world was full of flowers. I especially noted the daffodils that were everywhere. Then we returned home to nothing. Well, there were bits of green shoots poking out of the ground, but no colour anywhere. That's when this poem began to write itself.
Last month Linda Schueler shared a persona poem. As I thought about daffodils, I began to wonder what it's life was like and the idea for a poem from the daffodil's perspective took shape. It turned out I really didn't know much about the life of a daffodil. Who would have thought that writing a poem would have involved so much research!
When I sent a very rough draft of this out to these gifted photographers, it was untitled. Randy was sure I was talking about the local balsamroot flowers. Given that I never mention bulb, and people interpret art as they see fit, he insisted I use his image. When I sent Ron a later draft, I made sure he had the title.is it time yet?
i am tedium incarnate
hiding from summer heat
and then, later on
cowering from winter cold
no matter how
snug and secure
i am
waiting
beneath the earth
waiting for
the return of the sun
waiting for
just right warm
waiting
feels like forever
and now,
at last,
it’s time
time to get up, grow up, show up,
it’s time
to get my
greedy roots reaching deep into dirt
it’s time to
greet mycorrhizal fungi
and trade some carbon for
compound rich water
it’s time
to push my strong leaves
up
up
up
through the soil
into
radiant light
into the glory of
chloroplasts synthesizing the divine
it’s time
time for
phloem and xylem to
send this sacred joy
throughout my body
til i am
green and giddy
drunk on this
consecrated elixir
it’s time
time to send scape skyward
time to release
pedicel, spathe, ovary, tepal, corona, anther, stigma, style
to fill myself with sweet amrita
it’s time
to bloom
to bloom, resplendent in golden yellow
It’s time
at last
to commune,
however briefly,
with bees
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| Ron Peace |
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| Randy Rotheisler |
Such lovely flowers and such a gorgeous poem. Check for poetry contest - you need to submit this somewhere!
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesome science poem! And I love that it's from the point of view from the daffodil.
ReplyDeleteThe Okanagan kids shared such beauty in words and images.
ReplyDeleteDaffodils and spring do bring poetry to our minds.
ReplyDelete