Beeing in the Woods
Deep deep into the woods today;
don’t look back but only down,
down where roots foxtrot
cross the padded ground
wearing amberorange gowns
that once fit green on their branches.
Walking all day, the bow of wind plays
counterpoint on celloed limbs;
bees’ licorice saxophones drone in the fennel,
butterflies drinking beside them wary
with the flinch and nod
of old men at a pub.
Yellow light fashions its pollen heavy and sweet
filtered through finger-laced trees;
jazzed up we and the golden-legged bees
turn at last to go back
taking what we carry
to the hive.
September 2011
Posted for Poetry Jam
Image: Photo by Ainslee Allmark
website: Dolphin Visions
i used the same photograph you did, Joy, but i much prefer your poem. {smile}
ReplyDelete"bees’ licorice saxophones drone in the fennel,"
brilliant! ♥ d
Aint it grand to get out and walk in something turned back from Inferno ... And to walk in step with the foraging of bees, gathering poetic pollen to hive back here in this poem. Sweet indeed for all of us ... Loved the title, its existential and natural at once, a pun I can dip my bee-schnozz in and go mmmmm. - Brendan
ReplyDeleteIt's heady, this one, I feel the drunkenness of imbibing nature in this cool air. It must be such a relief to you to be free from the heat. No wonder you are feeling light and happy. I was hearing saxophones last night too, needing jazz before bed, so this is a perfect morning wakeup.
ReplyDeleteah i love the retreat to nature hedge...the old men at the pub illusion is fun, you capture the community of nature well in this and personify it in many ways...feels good and a little fun...
ReplyDeleteI almost love this piece the best... but then I remember there are so many I love.
ReplyDeleteI love it starts with the sense of leaving the past behind, this journey of looking down brings us fully into the present moment with its promise of heavy, heady pollen. The musicality and the wonderful 'jazzed up' create a feeling of (dare I say?) whimsy. I can see the returning sojourners joining the bees in their dance to share the gifts of the deep woods. Love it; I envisioned happy bulbous bumble bees with a mellow drone.
ReplyDelete... And you know? Beeing in the woods is almost as good as peeing in them. Puts a whole different spin on that "yellow light." :) - B.
ReplyDeleteLove the imagery of the 'roots foxtrot.
ReplyDeleteGreat stuff.
Here i my entry:
http://jackedwardspoetry.blogspot.com/2011/09/sea.html
Thanks all, this was fun to write.
ReplyDelete@Ruth: it *is* a tremendous relief to get out from under the hammer of the heat...the dreary grey damp day is like a party.
@dani: thanks for reading every single poem on the main page. I will be by the prompt links later.
@Brian: thanks--had to work the pub in somehow, and that's what the herb garden reminded me of the other day.
@Anna: Yes, I feel I at least dipped one toe of one foot into the whimsy here. Glad you see the bees--I was picturing them so loaded down that flying was a bit drunken.
@B; I foolishly was drinking coffee when I read your second comment--fortunately I have months of practice now squirting coffee sideways instead of straight forward onto the keyboard. (And for those of us with alternate plumbing, beeing in the woods is infinitely more fun than peeing in them, thank you, getting a death grip on some poor sapling and hoping one isn't ruining all one's nether apparel.)
"Uncharacteristically cheerful." You kill me.
ReplyDelete"the bow of wind plays
counterpoint on celloed limbs"
That's amazing.
@MZ: Tags are more fun than the poetry sometimes. Thanks and glad you liked.
ReplyDeleteI loved this! It put me in the mind of a sunny day in the woods. I could hear it as a Joni Mitchell song, sort of like Chelsea Morning!
ReplyDeletesaxophones, cellos and nature..and your poetry of course....can it get any better....? so glad to be back home and got some time again for reading poetry...
ReplyDeleteThanks, lm, and welcome home Claudia--missed you.
ReplyDeleteOh I love the sound of this line "wearing amberorange gowns" amberorange...such a delicious word to say!
ReplyDeleteReading what annell wrote in comments, I must say that I do love this piece the best.
ReplyDeleteWalking all day, the bow of wind plays
counterpoint on celloed limbs;
bees’ licorice saxophones drone in the fennel,
You have a great gift. Thank you for sharing it.
Thanks Lydia--so glad you enjoyed this. As I said, I had fun with it.
ReplyDeleteIn my delirium, I nearly missed this. I must echo MZ, except the label that cracked me up was "dances with bees."
ReplyDelete"....bees’ licorice saxophones drone in the fennel,
ReplyDeletebutterflies drinking beside them wary
with the flinch and nod
of old men at a pub......"
What great lines....!!
stapled maples
What fun. The second stanza especially: licorice>pub. "flinch and nod" is such an apt description of the dedicated drinkers' reaction to interruption.
ReplyDeleteThanks
Oh my goodness, this one is so beautiful and mesmerizing, it sent me into a trance from which I am loathe to emerge. Too many wonderful words and lines and images to list. Perfection. Sheer beauty.
ReplyDeletelovely escape.
ReplyDeleteenjoyed the imagery.
There are so many lovely phrases and images here. I read it again and again and I will come back to it. It's a delicious poem. twinkly
ReplyDeleteYour work shows great strength. I'm glad I came by. These lines deserve a special nod:
ReplyDelete"bees’ licorice saxophones drone in the fennel,
butterflies drinking beside them wary
with the flinch and nod
of old men at a pub."
Poetry Jam prompt
This was so much fun - I'd like to go on this walk someday :)
ReplyDelete