Time
She pauses midday,
tickles forest's edge with fingers
warm and tender. Beckons me
take notice, give thanks,
humble myself I am not her keeper.
A hectic pace I often set, ignore
her seasonal rhythm, treat life
as a race. Will I gasp breathless
when blue skies darken, unprepared
to be tucked beneath roots and leaves?
Or will I grasp hold her hand, breath deeply
her mother's nature, accept her promise
to cradle woes as I skip after milkweed tufts
as if childhood dreams of long ago?
Will I learn to court her with smiling face
and eager heart?
by Margaret Bednar, January 10, 2014
This is linked with my monthly challenge over at "Imaginary Garden of Real Toad's - Artistic Interpretations". Please feel free to join in the creativity!
Also linked with dVerse - Meeting the Bar - Looking Back, Looking Ahead - I chose the "Hearth, Home, and Common Speech" challenge.
Lovely prompt Margaret. This photographer had a great time with this round lens idea! I like where you went with it in you poem. I enjoyed the mystery of it.
ReplyDeleteHopefully yes ~ I like to pause & bask in the seasonal rhythm ~ Thanks for the lovely challenge Margaret ~ Enjoyed this one ~
ReplyDeletei like the play on mother nature...and courting her...those last two stanzas def my fav...cool piece margaret
ReplyDeleteYou deliver the longing and the conflict so gracefully...nature speaks clearly in this...beautiful, Margaret and thank you for bringing us the inspirational work.
ReplyDeleteNature has to be loved unconditionally.. There are days when she challenge us..
ReplyDeleteNature has to be loved unconditionally.. There are days when she challenge us..
ReplyDeletefinding that rhythm that she sets with the seasons...day/night... my uncle and aunt who had a farm lived much more to her natural rhythm...i think in our modern world we lost it a bit... i wanna find it too again
ReplyDeleteTo me, your poem seems born of many of the images - the sense of time encapsulating a season or moment long enough so we may contemplate it. I thought the first orb you feature here was the most beautiful, but of course, the milkweed was what first inspired my own poem. I appreciate your comment on my blog, and marvel at the way other people inspire and promote poetic thought all around the blogs - it is an incredible thing.
ReplyDeleteOrb for the image, Heart and Hearth for the imago of speaking plain and simple from the heart to the greater hearth of this world. I loved how the conversation is between mother and Great Mother, a union of sames that is not without difference and wonder. Very nice work, Margaret.
ReplyDeleteIf only one hold her hands and walk along with her rather trying to outbid her.
ReplyDeleteBeautifully penned. I liked the environment you create making it a wise and serene write.
-HA
Will I learn to court her with smiling face
ReplyDeleteand eager heart?
A lot of questions and a lot to do with mother nature. Deborah's creations are fantastic! Great write Marge!
Hank
Why is it that we find it so hard to slow down and enjoy the pace of Mother Nature? I doubt that I'll wish I had done more when my time comes, but I could end up wishing I had done less and enjoyed it more.
ReplyDeleteLove the questions this poses.
ReplyDeleteA poem to cause one to stop, think, maybe take stock...maybe even to slow down and appreciate the gift of time...very fine writing.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! I love how you remind us of our love affair with nature~ I love this challenge, so fun to see you mention my thoughts~ You make me want to run into the woods with my camera and capture tidbits of magic as the day unfolds~ Thank you!
ReplyDeleteA reminder to us all to pause and look around to appreciate nature! Enjoyed your challenge - thanks!
ReplyDeletewill I grasp hold her hand,- Love this, taking hold of time and making it work for us.
ReplyDeleteWonderful! We do too often treat life as a race--one we can never win. I love the evocations of mother nature, and now to slow down…Thank you for this.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the skipping after milkweed pods at the end. Perfect!
ReplyDelete'Beckons me
ReplyDeletetake notice, give thanks,' ~ great reminder to us, thank you Margaret!
Great Art too!
The first photograph in this post is my favorite .. so glad you chose to compose a poem about nature, rhythm. For they are inextricably entwined.
ReplyDeleteThose are some of the most important questions one can ask. Lovely treatment of this subject, some very fine lines here!
ReplyDeletethanks for the wonderful challenge and this lovely write out. A cautionary tale for certain. viva la
ReplyDelete" accept her promise
ReplyDeleteto cradle woes as I skip after milkweed tufts
as if childhood dreams of long ago?"
I love your imagery. Words calming, peaceful, sweeping us away. The photos chosen are beautiful, but I see they are not your own, and I know what an accomplished photographer you are. However your words are absolutely perfect for them. Lovely piece, Margaret.
I'm all for slowing down, but the society we're in is always about racing towards...well, towards something I suppose. Whatever happens, I expect you'll meet it with grace.
ReplyDeleteSaw "Saving Mr Banks" last night, and for some reason your pen reminds me of the author PL Travers, portrayed winningly by Emma Thompson.
ReplyDeleteRecommended viewing, though you can wait until it hits the DVD shelf since there are no big fireworks requiring the movie screen.
so much to take from this. so much said in time about it around it and yet we complain!
ReplyDeleteLove your interpretation...we miss so much in our hectic lives...
ReplyDeleteI LOVE this, Margaret, especially the last line.
ReplyDelete