The Apples in My Orchard

A Fondness for Bugs

Come along with me on your golden carpet of petals.

There you sit so still and full of pride

evident you are ready for a ride.

Atop a pot glowing with a yellow hue

your greenish color blends right in too.

Still you stay, for the journey from front yard to back,

I wait silently for you to make your attack.

Attack the grass, where I’d normally find you in your green slum,

but instead I see you like my chrysanthemum.

Were you terrified as we traveled? I don’t know.

I was happy you stayed in place though.

Oh, little grasshopper, your friend is now grown,

he doesn’t live here anymore, for he has flown.

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A Summer Fountain

The bubbling of my fountain will soon be still.

Young sparrows will no longer visit for a bath on this hill.

The water will cease, too cold to flow.

Old Orioles won’t come by to give me a show.

My windows will close, I won’t hear the sound.

Although I will carefully listen and take a look around.

The yard becomes barren as my winged friends start to leave.

I’ll see you again in the spring; This is more than hope but what I believe.

Today is Poetry Friday. The two poems I wrote for this week feature observations from my yard as summer gives way to fall. The sun sets faster, darkness moves in more quickly, and there is a chill in the air. I am an observer of the seasonal signs or or the student of phenology. Aldo Leopold was the consummate phenologist recording his monthly observations in A Sand County Almanac (1949, 2020). I’ve long noticed seasonal change but rarely have written about it. This week I took a chance to do just that.

Besides Leopold’s book, I’ve been reading several others. One is called the Poet’s Companion: A Guide to the Pleasures of Writing Poetry by Kim Addonizio and Dorrianne Laux, 1997. I have been searching for some guidelines for poetry despite the beauty of this form of writing is that there are few “rules” one has to follow. Still, as I self edit some of my poems in hope of digitally publishing them, I want to make sure I do not have any grievous errors. In any case, while the book has offered few, in any, rules, it has been enlightening and further supported my efforts in writing about what I know – in this case – my yard. There are also some beautiful examples of poetry in the book and ideas (prompts, if you will) for writing too. I’m not sure this book is in publication anymore, but I think I will start looking for a good/great used copy to add to my personal writing library. Yes! It is that good!

Today is Poetry Friday! Thanks to Matt at Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme for hosting and sharing his books with us this week! Please check his site for some awesome work.