Welcome to Poetry Friday, this week hosted by Molly at her blog: Nix the Comfort Zone.
I have been away from Poetry Friday for a while and found I missed, not surprisingly, this community and its celebration of words, writing, and all things artistic.
I want to thank Tabatha Yeatts for organizing the summer Poetry Swap. Patricia Franzen sent me an amazing poem about a sugar pine tree, which is a beloved Sierra species. The poem came just after I visited California and had seen a Redwood forest that was returning to life after a forest fire. Patricia’s gratitude for her beloved Sugar Pine tree, which she has been observing over time, resonated.
pinus lambertiana
In death as in life
you find your home in a mixed-conifer forest
a fallen sugar pine’s twisted remains
nestled between friends
generous to a fault
you sacrificed cone and seed
to feed the insatiable
pocket mouse or ground squirrel
benevolent ruler of this alpine slope
stripped bare, yet steadfast
cavity nesters find a home
in your heartwood
Patricia Franzen July 15, 2023
She also sent a card with one of her photos of Lake Tahoe and some whimsical stickers. It was wonderful to hear from her!
This week I’m sharing a series of haiku inspired by an August of summer vegetables, brought to me in abundance from a generous neighbor. These, of course, are leeks.
FARM TO TABLE HAIKU 1) Fresh beets in a box wearing thick mud from the field— tender greens wilting. 2) Found meandering among tasteless and tough weeds, sweet carrots and leeks. 3) Not too long or short— Green and yellow beans flourish. Hurry up! Pick them! 4) Bite marks on veggies But corn and okra don’t care if raccoons eat them. 5) By myself cooking, I slide the window open— let in cricket sound. © Janice Scully 2023
What are you celebrating this August? Have a great week! Thank you, Molly, for hosting Poetry Friday.
What bounty! Such a lovely swap–I’m eyeing those incredible stickers too. And, Your haiku series is lovely from the clever title to letting in a cricket sound. It all feels like a welcome home, to me.
I didn’t attempt the Summer Swap this year, but it’s always wonderful seeing the amazing gifts landing in grateful hands across the country. SO much inspiration going all directions! Patricia’s poem and gifts are beautiful – love the ending lines, “cavity nesters find a home/
in your heartwood”. Likewise, your last haiku is my favorite of your series – how lovely to let in that cricket sound!
I received bounty from Patricia, too. She really knows the forest & I love this poem, “nestled between friends” is such a loving thought. And I smiled at your garden haiku, Janice, an August image, right? Love the “Hurry up! Pick them!”. Happy weekend!
Lovely. Thanks for sharing yours and Patricia’s words. Your #5 was so startling and evocative. Happy to see you, Janice. Isn’t it great how we can come and go from the POetry Friday community depending on our lives, and we know we’re always welcome when we can make it? <3
Garden haiku – what fun! In our garden, squirrels are eating the potato leaves (but not the potatoes) and the raccoons are eating the English lavender (but not the Spanish or French lavender).
It seems like we were both moved by haiku this week! I love your series of garden haiku, each one such a lovely offering. As someone who isn’t too consistent with weeding, I especially enjoyed the serendipity of finding the carrots and leeks in your second haiku. That feels so hopeful! Enjoy the bounty of the season!
Janice, the summer poem swap is a wonderful opportunity to share poetry with a partner. Patricia’s poem and photo are filled with the beauty of her Sierra pine tree and Lake Tahoe area. Her line ,”you sacrificed cone and seed/to feed the insatiable”, resonates with me while your Haiku #4, in your Farm to Table Haiku made me laugh. Enjoy your summer vegetables.
Janice, what a fun post. Patricia’s pine poem is full of beautiful well-chosen words. I like the “insatiable pocket mouse or ground squirrel”
Your “Farm to Table Haiku” are wonderful. I loved imagining you in the kitchen letting in the cricket sounds. Lovely!
I like that “cricket sound” you let in–thanks for sharing your lovely collection of garden inspired haikus Janice! And also Patricia’s sensitive “heartwood” poem and images.
Lovely haiku! I love the urgency you create to pick the beans in just a few words. Thanks for sharing Patricia’s poem also.
I love each of your haiku, but they are exceptional when read together! And that ending, with the crickets…YES!
Hi Janice! I am getting a poem ready to send you! I love the swap you received from Patricia and it’s delightful to see the garden’s bounty represented in haiku!
Janice! It’s a joy to know our gifts of words find their homes in other hearts. And what a bounty of haiku and veggies! I wish mine (the veggies) were as prolific. This mountain summer has not produced the garden I imagined. Lucky raccoons!
Love all of your lovely poetic gifts from Patricia! And really love your haiku.