Poetry Friday is hosted by Jone Rush MacCulloch here at her new, beautiful website! Thanks, Jone for hosting and for offering a prompt last week to write for National Math Storytelling Day or #NationalBRAVEDay, both September 25th.So much is going on, the news seems to flip-flop from chaos to loss to prime-time "he-said, she-said". It is challenging to keep up. I am reminded of My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss, though I know he did not mean it in the way it's now happening!
The passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has thrown us all into mourning and a call for resignations along with new Converse or Nike shoes! Have you seen these? Unfortunately, they are only a creation of someone so far. The companies have not yet responded.
I am writing postcards and calling, donating, will be helping to get out the vote! And I have written for Jone's prompt in a way. I hope "counting syllables" works for the math. I've been writing etherees, the explanation of these found here! And I've written a double one for today, about our Pandemic life, being brave enough to let nature win some days.
Coming Undone
days
blossomed
blinking hot
shorts and tees worn
garden obsession
but it really wasn’t –
summer happening, I mean
no baseball games, no summer camp,
undone with no sand between my toes
undone without theater in the park
be brave and welcome what’s dependable
curtained days entice sweaters off hooks
trees begin wild goodbye parties
all lean toward one another
compliment new wardrobes
hail other summers’
beloved days
celebrate
autumn
here
Linda Baie ©
Hi Linda! So nice to see you again. "Coming undone" is THE perfect title for your poem, reflecting this time we're living in. I am comforted by the notion that nature is dependable and is, by itself, reason to celebrate. And those RBG shoes!!! I totally need to get myself a pair.
ReplyDeleteHi Michelle! It's great to see you back! I edited my post, FYI, to say that those wonderful shoes are not yet on the market, but maybe soon! Yes, as you read, I'm grateful for nature, too. Thanks!
DeleteLinda, this is lovely. I especially love the trees, their wild goodbye parties, leaning toward one another. I'm writing letters, texting, and making donations too. We must give this one all we can.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Liz, I am so hopeful for this election, but concerned, too. Yikes, only six weeks away! I'm happy you liked the poem. Among all the tragic loss of life and place, I kept thinking of our usual summer lost, 'undone' for all of us. Thanks!
DeleteThis is beautiful, Linda, so spot on with some sad and some beautiful images. Thank you for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Alex. It felt like something I needed to write.
DeleteLove this poem -- it feels wistful, with a certain yearning for what has been missed, yet there is hope for what is to come. Beautiful progression of images/emotion and great job with the form!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jama. I'm glad you enjoyed my poem!
DeleteSpot on with this poem, Linda! Especially "trees begin wild goodbye parties" - fall has fallen hard here in the last 24 hours! Your association of the breakneck speed of the news cycle with Dr Seuss My Many Colored Days is brilliant. :)
ReplyDeleteI have loved My Many Colored Days for years, & for some inexplicit reason, it came back to me during these chaotic weeks. Thanks, Bridget, happy (maybe a little sad, too) that you agree. Our trees are turning, but cooler weather next week will bring them all out!
DeleteI love your poem, Linda and counting syllables is surely a math thing. You inspire me to try one soon. I am working more on forms and so your poem (etheree and thanks for that link) with so much wistfulness and lovely images truly motivates. Janet Clare F.
ReplyDeleteI guess you saw that the link has many other forms on the left, too, Janet. It is fun to work to a form! Thanks!
DeleteI love "compliment new wardrobes." You inspire me with the way you keep making things, being cheerful, and never giving up.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Ruth, I simply won't give in to all the hate around us recently. There is good when we look. I do think reading everyone's posts for Poetry Friday does wonders for me, too. I can read poetry books which I love, but the sharing from people's lives right now & a favorite poem or two, feels very good.
Delete"Be brave and welcome what's dependable," indeed. All hail the ever-changing, ever-dependable seasons.
ReplyDeleteFeels good to me, Tanita, keeps the life going! Thanks!
DeleteThis poem looks lovely on the page. Ah, autumn is here! Even the leaves change their wardrobe.
ReplyDeleteYes they do! I adore the colors! Thanks, Margaret!
DeleteI love this, Linda. Summer was both so long and so short. Once school started back up, we asked ourselves, "what did we do for the past few months?" It was like a slow blur. Autumn is my favorite, although we really don't have that season here in FL.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Becky. I love that you named it a "slow blur". I am so thankful to have part of my family here & to work at the bookstore!
DeleteWith so much loss in my life over the past year, i am always searching for and leaning on the steadiness in nature and its blatant ignoring of my life!
ReplyDeleteI love "trees begin wild goodbye parties"!!
Yes, one thing I hope is that many realize that just a few minutes outside, watching a tree, seeing birds gathering on a power line is a good thing, a really healing thing. Thanks, Donna!
DeleteYes, ma'am...be brave! I have struggled with feeling anxious and worn out with all that's going on and all there is to keep up with. But, some of my favorite podcasts set me straight. One is Brene Brown's Unlocking Us. She is such a good counselor, interviewer, researcher and human. We don't have colors here yet...just the hints of them. Your tree is looking pretty fine!
ReplyDeleteThanks for reminding me about Brene Brown & her healing words, Linda. Her books give me lots of hope & inspiration.
DeleteLinda, your poem is filled with so many sensory details for Coming Undone! These lines are lovely and entice me to think of the abundance of autumn:
ReplyDeletecurtained days entice sweaters off hooks
trees begin wild goodbye parties
Your etheree is accompanied by a glorious looking tree. Our pandemic life isis weary thin on nerves but nature keeps spirits high. Today, we took a drive to the boardwalk. The weather was so beautiful that I walked down to the beach and just sat on the jetty and felt at peace.
Thanks, Carol, though I cannot drive to the ocean, that you share your journeys there is a welcome sight every time.
DeleteLOVE this! My favorite line is "curtained days entice sweaters off hooks." And it is definitely comforting to remember that "coming undone" will eventually result in a surge of new life.
ReplyDeleteYes! That circle continues & it's good to remember. Thanks, Mary Lee!
DeleteThat Converse shoe with the lace collar-!!!!!! I can see a craze coming, for sure - "complimenting new wardrobes" as mentioned about the trees in your poem. Your double reverse etheree is so rich in its layered meanings.
ReplyDeleteIt will be interesting to see if one of the shoe companies takes that challenge! Thank you, Fran!
DeleteHi Linda, So sorry the National Math Storytelling Day prompt. I've been working on Etherees myself lately. Love yours, especially this line:
ReplyDeletetrees begin wild goodbye parties
I hope to get out to see those parties before the rain arrives this weekend.
And I wish we could have some rain! Thanks, Carmela!
DeleteOh, Linda, this is grand. You've got me wanting to try an etheree. What a cool form! I love the way you've woven together the feeling of coming undone with bravery and the welcoming of what is meant to be undone. Welcome, autumn. Help us be brave. xo
ReplyDeleteOctober is going to be quite a whirlwind, isn't it? We need to be the bravest then all month! Thanks, Karen
DeleteI love etherees, and I love the way the mood changes as the poem progresses. "trees begin wild goodbye parties" -- fabulous!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Laura, they've started those parties here!
DeleteBrave, indeed! I love thisese lines:
ReplyDeletetrees begin wild goodbye parties
all lean toward one another
Thanks for reminding me that I need to return to the etheree.
Thanks, Jone, enjoy writing the etherees! They are fun to work with.
Delete"Be brave and welcome what’s dependable" are words to live by these days, Linda. I love your double etheree and its anticipation of fall. Our trees are all stressed because we haven't had much rain, so their colors are subdued, but still lovely.
ReplyDeleteOur color is coming. I guess our trees are used to having so little water. Sorry that you are dry, too! We do need words to live by for sure, don't we? Thanks, Catherine!
DeleteI like the melancholy lovingly mixed into your poem Linda, beautiful weaving in of current things missing and falls changes, thanks a bit late.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Michelle, glad to read that you enjoyed the poem.
Delete