The Matron

The Matron

A flush not demure

but forthcoming

anticipates perhaps not youth

but no less adventure.

Spring and Summer
shyly, perhaps coyly,
wear sheer, billowing skirts,
laugh gloriously and foolishly,
the sound delightful,

but Autumn
cloaks herself in wool,
red cheeks, and experience.

Harvests gathered,
rewards reaped,
she sighs, shakes out apron,
loosens hair

for a moment a child,
carefree.  Just one spin
before auburn tresses once again
become silvered and gray,

eyes reflecting sky,
heart's abundance,
and oncoming clouds,

all without a hint of subterfuge.

by Margaret Bednar, November 9, 2018

This is for "Imaginary Garden with Real Toad's - Kerry Say's - How Does the Story End?"  It is important for this prompt to have a STRONG ending line.

I am also sharing this with "Poets and Storytellers United - Writers' Pantry # 92". 

Panacea

My daughter riding our horse, Oberon
bareback with a halter - what a good boy.

Panacea

Beneath Parisian green I'm protected,
stout arms arch over me, shading;
other times a safe haven to watch storm clouds
as they linger above windswept peaks.

I'm alone but not lonely; how could I be
with babbling brook whispering of past & present,
the flutter-byes of songbirds and crow,
the wink and nod of a silently sloping sun,

and of course the steady rhythm
of my pony's hooves intertwining it all.
I love the winding, dirt road.  Imagine it
my yellow brick escorting me

to a better understanding of today, tomorrow.
Once we ventured beneath a purple midnight sky,
everything silhouetted against a moon
resembling a piece of eight;

my treasure a view of the stars
necklaced through branches and boughs,
inviting me to linger amidst velvety images,
transfixed, absorbed in an owl's ethereal cry.

by Margaret Bednar, June 20, 2019

HEAR a Barred Owl

This is linked with "Imaginary Garden with Real Toads - Kerry Says - Human-Landscape Interactions".  I hope I did this correctly - select a natural place with which we are familiar and write about it in a way to transform the descriptive into something more metaphoric or symbolic to the human condition.  An outward and an inward reflection of experience.   Think I could have been a bit more metaphoric - but this is what I came up with.  sigh.

I invite you to listen to me read my poem:

Sunday Mornings

123rf

Sunday Mornings

We left Mom behind every Sunday morning
because she was a Protestant, and anyway,
she had morning dishes to attend
while we sat slouched on hard pews
as Dad hummed Catholic hymns off-key.

Sometimes sister and I dug our fingernails
into the back of the wooden pew as we knelt,
carved our initials (sometimes a boy's),
often feigned dyer need to use the restroom
before the Nicene Creed,
and almost always played "elbows" as we sat
straight-backed, trying to dislodge the other.

If Dad noticed, we'd find out after church,
car-bound, as he enjoyed newspaper, coffee,
and a few donuts, as we sat contritely,
Donut Shop's glass window 

cause for our contrition.

Margaret Bednar, February 1, 2019

This is for "Imaginary Garden of Real Toad's "Kerry Says - Instructions for Living a Life - A Tribute to Poets of Our Time".  I selected Julia Alvarez.  I own a book "Cries of the Spirit" (1991) where a number of poets (Mary Oliver is one of them) are collected together - many have passed on, but not all.  One of the poets in this book is Julia Alvarez.  I adore Julia Alvarez and have ordered her book "Homecoming". 

I think she has a very down-to-earth voice and focuses on things that are familiar to us all - family settings... I tried my best to pick up on her theme a bit (I wouldn't be as bold to say her style). 

Below are four of her poems:

Ironing Their Clothes HERE
On Sundays HERE
Hairbands HERE
By Accident HERE

Homecoming = published 1996 - A reisusuing of a 1984 book now out of print
The Woman I Kept to Myself - published in 2004

In the Time of the Butterflies - her novel made into a major motion picture.

Julia Alvarez - Backstage at Pen & Podium:

"Regrets"

image from: Top 10 Ways to Destroy Earth 

Regrets

Bitterness is jaundiced eyes
trying to recall seaside view
of aqua, turquoise, azure...

remember when slate
was a favorite neutral.

Now it chokes,
reserved not for shadows or rolling mists of fog
but seeps beneath my skin;

pewter, charcoal, ash contrast with flint and silver
on a good day.

Tears can’t  wash away gray;
memory slowly losing grip of seasonal glories
as I glimpse remnants of earth from afar;

ponder my own guilt
in caring too late.

by Margaret Bednar, June 29, 2018

My take on "Imaginary Garden of Real Toads - Kerry Says - What is Spec Fic?"  I almost didn't participate as this kind of doom and despair writing and/or imaginative futuristic fiction is very hard for me!  

"Cheers"

"Cheers"

Divine will, predestination

a soothing comfort I suppose -

easier to accept 

than lack of discipline or desire.

Add a shot of free will -

the flavor often changes:

vice over virtue or virtue over vice,

success or failure, stirred or shaken?

by Margaret Bednar, May 13, 2016

This is for "Imaginary Garden with Real Toads Challenge "Lets Visit the "word" Family".  I pondered the words "Meant to Be" (and equivalent Antonyms and Synonyms) which is part of the title song two of my girls sang tonight from Little Women's "Some Things Are Meant to Be" at their high school Broadway Review.   (above is a short excerpt) The older sister (black dress) is going off to college in the fall and this is their last high school performance together.   The poem has nothing to do with the song.  Little Women is a wonderful book AND musical.  

I wish I could have pondered a bit more on this prompt - it's almost midnight and I'm traveling to the mountains tomorrow for the day - we will be moving there in four weeks and it is a busy time and throw in end-of-school activities...  My poetry is taking a "hit" as it isn't very good, but I'm trying to keep the creative juices flowing and am very grateful for the prompts offered at "The Imaginary Garden..."  

"Cherry Esplanade"

Cherry Blossoms - Brooklyn, NYC Botanical Garden

Cherry Esplanade

Oval blossoms flirt, flush;
double flower this month of May -

as you hold my hand
beneath fleeting, fragile petals
held within cherry trees'
umbrella like palms.

We count double rows
of seventy-six,

yet bow to countless gnarled branches
sprouting elegant blooms -
whisper it's like walking within
Monet or Van Gogh;

a spiritual awakening of sorts;
of peace.

A faint aroma like a kiss,
an ache of desire - embraces us,
find it's easy to fall in love
beneath crowns of glorious pink.

by Margaret Bednar, March 5, 2016

You are invited to Listen:  https://soundcloud.com/margaretbednar/cherry-esplanade

This is linked with "Imaginary Garden with Real Toads - Kerry's Challenge - Let's Count on Our Fingers & Toes"  A theme of numbers and numerology.  76 - did a little research and embedded what I learned into this poem.  Thank you, dear Kerry, for FIVE years of this garden.  It is a a place full of inspiration and people I cherish!  

"The Path"

The Path

I long for moments of awe -
where time seeps into crack and crevice,

where allegro's finger
slows its vibrato,

where powdery blooms of Solomon's seal
weigh heavily upon August's vine,

where God's signet ring
dangles beside the forest path I tread.

by Margaret Bednar, September 26, 2015

This plant which looks similar to a blue berry is actually poisonous however has been used for medicinal purposes dating back a very long time.  It is referred to as Solomon's Seal and was given this name due to its appearance at the cross section of its stem where it attaches to the underground root structure.  The legend of King Solomon's Seal is shared by Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.  The Doctrine of Signatures is a theory that plants were "signed" by God to indicate their intended use by man.    I at first thought it was a choke berry - but the leaves were markedly different.


This is linked with "Imaginary Garden of Real Toads - Let's Go Back to School" where I was inspired by the poem "Rome" written by Waseen Asmal:

an excerpt from the poem "Rome":  (for the full version, click on the name above).

Time has seeped into
the cracks and crevices of
the once mighty Rome
breaking it's walls
and leaving it crumbling in the dust.

and also linked with the Garden's prompt "Play it Again, Toads".   I chose the archived challenge "A Word with Laurie - allegro"  where I not only had to use the word "allegro" but had to keep the poem to 8 lines AND write it within a minute's time.  I took a minute and a half (sorry) but it took me quite a while to research this little poem.  It took me forever to find out what this plant was - the choke berry leaves are a bit serrated - so I looked for about 45 minutes until I finally found the correct leaf shape.

Someone commented my blog's "verification" is giving them trouble.  I checked my status and I have it turned off - there should be NO verification code to type in.  Please let me know if this is showing up if you post a comment.  Thanks.  

"Release"

"Release"

I open my palm, release into blue skies
melodious notes that drift back to me,
harmonize as I become smaller;

have faith you'll wing back
just as flaming sumac entices the Bluebird.

My heart line is deep and strong;
even a bit selfish.  Either way,
I gave my heart long ago

and each parting, each journey,
makes it both fragile and strong.

by Margaret Bednar, July 17, 2015


My children have taken wing this summer, some temporarily, two have flown my nest for good.   Below is a Facebook link to my son's two person band "The Messy Beds".

https://www.facebook.com/themessybeds?fref=ts

This is linked with "The Imaginary Garden of Real Toads - Let's Find Our Poetic Voice". 

"Available"

upon your wing a blush - female cardinal

"Available"

"Is love a tender thing?" William Shakespeare

Winter weary perhaps but upon your wing
a blush, a flush of red;

crested and full of song - male cardinal

a promise

of springtime and tender love
from one crested and full of whistling song

who lost his mate of late

to rapacious rival; swooped in low and fast
and seized her heart;

but surely

as Aquarius makes way for Pisces, so to
does winter's ever-beating march advance toward spring.


by Margaret Bednar, February 13, 2015

Rapacious Rival aka Immature Red-Shouldered Hawk 

I was thrilled to watched this hawk (which I think is a young red-shouldered hawk - correct me if I'm wrong) perch and occasionally course through my backyard woodlot this afternoon.  And boy did he (or she) shock me when he decided to glide over my new bird feeder and go after a female cardinal!   The hawk was gliding much faster than she took off - but they flew out of my view of the window frame and I can only hope she made it to the bushes.

I KNOW, hawks need to survive too, but I did move my birdhouse to a safe alcove by my other window and a few more bushes and trees for security.

All photos were taken from inside my house.

This is linked with "Imaginary Garden with Real Toads - Kerry Says - Is Love a Tender Thing".