Moving through the book. This time, "Weather Words"
Remember to share:
Tabatha Yeatts has created a link to poems teachers and librarians can print for poetry month, titled "Poetry in The Halls". I'm grateful to be one of the poets!
Jama Rattigan has a post HERE with many poets' goals for April.
The Progressive Poem schedule can be found on the right! Jone McCullough is today and my turn is tomorrow!
We Are One
The spring rains were gone
when I visited my parents
in their small town near the Big Muddy,
the Missouri River.
The sun shone over the crops
near their town, but a scant few miles away
the river continued to escape from its banks,
blanketing the farmers’ rich fields.
They would have no crops this year.
My dad asked: “Want to see the edge?”
We drove the county highway till
the water stopped us.
Many worried about the animals
who had lost their homes.
Deer, porcupine, groundhogs,
raccoons moved on to fight for territory,
would displace others.
Too many meant their loss and the farmers, too.
We spoke of them, but as we walked the highway
closer to the water,
its surface appeared to undulate.
This was not a heat mirage from summer heat.
There were worms, thousands and thousands
twisting out of the earth, wriggling down the road,
like evacuees leaving homes before a hurricane.
Worms are not fast, the water was gaining,
while ahead, sun beat down,
steam rose.
Thousands were already gone.
The rains had quit,
the flood continued,
the worms fought on,
kin to humans this day.
Linda Baie ©
Wow, what an amazing sight -- can't imagine all those worms! Great images/details in your poem, so vivid. Love the nod to the resilience of natural creatures and the power of Nature.
ReplyDeleteIt was too long ago, that time when no phone to take a picture. It is vivid in my mind! Thanks, Jama.
DeleteOh my goodness! Those worms totally surprised me!
ReplyDeleteWe were, too, Laura. I'd never seen anything like it, but imagine it may be something that does occur with floods.
DeleteJust Wow! Your poem, like some kind of portent for what will come, fills me with anxiety and mournfulness. As flooding becomes more commonplace, I see the peoples of the world in those worms.
ReplyDeleteI know, I rather connected like that, too, Cheriee. They seemed to be trying so hard.
DeleteWhat an amazing memory! Those worms! Is this book designed to prompt memoir writing or are you just taking the prompts in that direction? I am thinking af doing some memoir writing and need a push start.
ReplyDeleteIt begins with memories and/or observations, but is meant for a kind of touring the world in different ways. I found that my students liked what I shared with them as far as the poems and the suggestions. Like any prompt or idea, one does veer in differing ways because of who you are.
DeleteOMG! What a sight! What a poem!
ReplyDeleteI think I'm glad that I'm writing from this book this month. This is a sight I won't forget. Thanks, Diane.
DeleteThis almost seems unbelieveable! What a word picture you have painted for us!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Carol, and it does make me wonder if it's happened in this recent flooding?
DeleteI really love the tone of this poem... that first line begs the reader to go on and hear this story... I can tell this is a book I want to spend some time with too. Thank you for sharing this memory, Linda! xo
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Irene. I think I'm going to enjoy the month with the writing ideas. So far, I'm happy to have written about some special memories.
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