The poetry bus is driven this week by Jeanne Iris, who suggested many things, among them a seasonal impression.
I'm not sure my efforts are quite ripe yet. This might be two poems mixed up still.
Apples
In spring the blossoms covered the tree
like a wedding gown
sweet pink at the heart of the petals
petals that danced in the air
gently falling to the ground
The apples were tiny
I waited
the apples were the size of peas
hard and green
I waited
the size of grapes, of kumkwats, of limes
The apricots came and went.
I waited on the apples
The sun of August caresses the fruit
lightens the green to a pleasant yellow
Streaks of red appear, and it's time
it's Appletime!
Sweet, but not too sweet
firm, cracking under my teeth like a denture commercial
I have a new way of eating apples,
special for apples from the garden
Bite
Look
Chew.
Hmm.
If I have time I'll come back to this and try to tweak it into shape.
In the meantime, the Bus is off and running. Catch it here!
.
Just for fun I tried option #1 as well:
The Fairy
I saw a magical being
Right there! Right in Bakersfield
Right in plain sight.
I knew the stories were true I just knew it
And here was proof at last
Something to keep Derek shut up
When he tries to tell that fairies aren’t for real
And Santa is just Mom & Dad
I went closer, fearing that my approach would make the ephemeral creature disappear
But it stayed.
I saw then how still it was
And how silent
And grey
Like a statue of a fairy
One that had an evil spell cast upon it
Turned to stone right there in Bakersfield
Then it moved!
Aughhhh!
And suddenly I saw through it
To the other side
A woman’s face caked with makeup
A spraypainted hat, cardboard wings
The other side
Is my side.
I stood dumbfounded in truth.
.
Edinburgh 2024 reviews
2 months ago
11 comments:
delicious!
Two such different poems! Reading them one after the other is like being on a roller coaster. The peaks and valleys of your emotional landscape.
I did try to separate them, Mark. Reading poems one after another is not something I like to do. The flavors get all mixed up. Like having lemon tea from the machine after somebody else chose tomato soup.
Not that I would chose either one of those!
Couldn't resist the fairy thing. Hate fairies and all that cutesy ****.
the fairy poem is the winner for me!!! steven
Beautiful...
I want those apples.I have to test my new toothpaste :)
Both the poems are superb...:)
I liked the ending of the second one.
Your apple poem reminds me of our tomatoes - it took FOREVER for them to grow & ripen. We just ate the first one on Saturday. Good stuff.
The fairy poem is fun - I get tricks played on my eyes all the time (I think I do it on purpose).
I guess the second poem only really makes sense when you see the prompt photo of a little girl reaching up to one of those street mimes pretending to be a statue of a fairy.
Beautifully written and have lots of different ideas to think about, but I was distracted by your lovely header photo!!!
I love the waiting theme in the apple poem, really built up nicely to a satisfying ending. I love the second though slightly more. I hate all the cutesy **** as well.
I love both of these! Apple blossoms are my favorite scent. The orchards nearby are just as you describe here. There is a very old apple tree in the woods next to my house, which I love to imagine came to be through the seeds of Johnny Appleseed. It's fruit feeds the deer.
And your 'Fairy' poem is adorable! It was such fun watching the children's faces as they approached that fairy...probably with the identical realization in your poem. ; )
Ooh! I liked the apples one very much, but for me, The Fairy really resonated. Starts so easy, but the progression to knowledge just rings so real, and that's a fabulous, tragic last seven lines. Loved it.
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