A Bright, Bright, Bright Sunshiny Day
After So Many Months
I.
After so many months the wait becomes
lonely and unbending, like March, like a
long march through a cold season, like the last
unending days before dry limbs crochet
verdant lace around the brittle darkness
of winter bark. I am a silhouette
of branches, a windbreak, a lone figure
weighted down by snow and wind, weather-scarred.
II.
Our fingers interlink and the wait lifts.
III.
Your warm breath is a breeze pulsing against
the reborn surfaces of my skin. Our
love is a dew-washed network of weft and
warp in a lush vernal forest, fragile
bud-green leaves and tender moss weaving back
and forth back and forth on a supple loom.
Our love sends delicate roots down into
the earth, tender shoots up into the light.
=====
3 x 3″; watercolor on paper
card #12 in a series of color swatches
2025
=====
Notes about poem and art:
• “After” is a sweet young poem I wrote 50 years ago, using syllabics and stanzas as my structural elements. Each line has ten syllables. The first and third stanzas have eight lines each, with stanza two as a one-line transition. As to those delicate roots and tender shoots in the poem, they’ve flourished! Dave and I will celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary in October : )
• I loved painting the vivid bright bright bright sunshiny colors of these calendula in A Brightness. Even though glowing yellow and orange are players in autumn as well, in early August they danced and shouted exuberantly in celebration of the here and now of summer.
=====
10 responses to “A Bright, Bright, Bright Sunshiny Day”
Indeed, “heartwarming that what was true back then is still strong and true today.” The colors here are pleasingly evocative of our October wedding for which we gathered up brilliant autumn leaves from the churchyard to serve as vivid ‘placemats’ on which to perch bright pumpkins and gourds (the stems! the stems!) as centerpieces on the tables at our reception!
Thanks, MaryAnn!
Liked by 2 people
So, from the time your were a young (younger) woman, you’ve had this incredible gift of poetry it seems. Aren’t we lucky that you’re sharing it with us. This is such a moving portrait of your marriage and the imagery of the loom, the weft and warp, perfectly describes the dynamics in a long-term commitment. This I know, too, as we just celebrated our 50th.
Every time you share one of your poems and explain its mechanics, and structure, I feel like I’ve been in a delightful poetry class. Keep them coming. ♥️
Another lovely lesson. Another wonderful gift of your poetry shared with us. Such a blessing. That is the true American dream. The dream of everyone everywhere. True love, and a lifetime shared. Congratulations to you both.
I think Brightness might be my favorite. (But honestly, they are ALL favorites.) I love the various shades within each swatch, the warm muted tones, and the sunny bright! Happiness squared! xoxo
Sheila, thanks for your congrats—Dave and I keep looking at each other, exclaiming almost in befuddlement, “How could it be 50 years?” (Actual anniversary in a few weeks).
OH, so pleased to have you notice the various shades within each color swatch! Thank you! These swatches have provided such a magically limited scope within which to experiment and learn all manner of things, one of which has been to open up each swatch to more than a single iteration of a hue. YAY to your noticing!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment