I ... entered the poem of life, whose purpose is ... simply to witness the beauties of the world, to discover the many forms that love can take. (Barabara Blackman in 'Glass After Glass')

These poems are works in progress and may be updated without notice. Nevertheless copyright applies to all writings here and all photos (which are either my own or used with permission). Thank you for your comments. I read and appreciate them all, and reply here to specific points that seem to need it — or as I have the leisure. Otherwise I reciprocate by reading and commenting on your blog posts as much as possible.

12 September 2015

Listening





















Soft rain will fall this morning.
Already, clouds are whitening all the air.
There is a hush on the trees,
the gentle ripple of their leaves too slight
for sound to happen yet.

Poised and waiting still
the earth is readying for sustenance.
Slowly, birds arouse
with flutterings and anxious little cheeps.
The leaves begin to rustle.

I too have a thirst.
Yet I too hesitate, and pause awhile.
To open to the boundless
cannot, surely, be a hasty thing,
must not be impatient?

Or can it – must it – be?
Perhaps, to slake that deep, that inner thirst,
I should be open-mouthed
and all my body taut with urgency
for the soft rain to fall.


I write this (way ahead of time!) to my own prompt for Poets United's Midweek Motif for Sept 16: "'Let your song be delicate' – or not." I give people a choice, but personally am attempting delicacy (in case you couldn't tell).

27 comments:

  1. I Love how you've described that moment of Poise...reminds me of the period of gestation...absolutely beautiful...

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  2. Wow, like a baby bird, and rustling like awakening leaves! Beautiful--gentle and delicate--and with a great contrast to my favorite lines:
    "the gentle ripple of their leaves too slight
    for sound to happen yet."

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  3. I love the comparison of the way that Nature thirsts to the way that Humans thirst. Each waiting open-mouthed for the 'rain.' This is indeed a very delicate poem.

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  4. This is really really beautiful, "the earth is readying for sustenance"...here, too. Rain so gratefully received.......I especially adore the open-mouthed urgency for the soft rain to fall....wowzers, kiddo! Delicacy to the max. I LOVE this prompt by the way and hope I can write something decent for it. Thinking about it............

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  5. That glorious scent and feeling of rain (particularly in Australia) after a lengthy drought and the joy of walking out and getting wet!

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  6. I love the sound of rain and its song. it's relief. and all the anticipation in nature when it is coming ...in preparation.

    really nicely written rosemary

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  7. And beautifully delicate it is too - thank you for the prompt - morning can be fragile..we perhaps wish them..long for them..but with each passing one comes a stillness and perhaps a heated desire to do what we must

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  8. Naturally delicate, indeed... I love images of "earth is readying for sustenance"... of the speaker preparing her body and spirit--willingly--for receiving what nature will give. There is so much patience here... as if the speaker has learned something, which many of us have yet to find. ♥

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  9. Rain too soft for the sound to be heard.. oh I love that!

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  10. Such a beautiful piece of work!! Loved these lines:

    Slowly, birds arouse
    with flutterings and anxious little cheeps.
    The leaves begin to rustle.

    Lots of love,
    Sanaa

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  11. This is a gem of a poem. Loved the softness in it. Beautiful :)

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  12. and the song delicate falls and nurtures.

    A beautiful response and thank you for today's prompt

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  13. You didn't just achieve delicacy here, you achieved serenity. That's I felt reading this. It's beautiful!

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  14. Delicate indeed...your topic and its softness are befitting and the vulnerability plays toward this delicacy as well. Nicely written and inspired!

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  15. Love it, by Linda

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  16. Delicacy evoked with anxious little cheeps and rustles. Lovely !

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  17. Beautiful how you've blurred the lines between nature and you, so that you belong to it seamlessly.

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  18. Great one. Listening with other senses...

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  19. I think we should be open about it ~ I specially like this part:

    Poised and waiting still
    the earth is readying for sustenance.

    Grace

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  20. Perhaps, to slake that deep, that inner thirst,
    I should be open-mouthed
    and all my body taut with urgency
    for the soft rain to fall............. Sigh, so lovely, such insight

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  21. I love the gentle questions here, Rosemary. And I loved this prompt. Thank you.

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  22. This creates such a beautiful, delicate setting. Love it!

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  23. It is delicate and beautiful Rosemary. I like the parallel of the soil's thirst for physical rain and the soul'd thirst for emotional/spiritual water...

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