Photo by Texas Parks & Wildlife
So … I’m knee-deep in poetry right now, still. And I feel almost guilty. I have so many people waiting on my next novel, but I’ve set it aside (again). I’m drawn to poetry and I’m gonna ride this pony til she stops.
Here’s one of my latest that I worked on in a recent Lighthouse Writers workshop. I can’t seem to get the line spacing right on this blog, but it’s close.
Let me know what you think. Thanks for reading!
A Different Seed
I was born in fields of bluebonnets,
ink-well-sapphire dense petals spiked in sun-blind white
short-lived in the Texas spring —
each dew-soaked stem
flattened just yesterday
by the sharp nose of the coyote
the hoof-step of the Hereford
hiding the hiss and slither of the rattler —
always bouncing back
seemingly singular,
good for early-morning picking
before the heat sets in.
Yet by high noon
it’s never easy
to detach a wilted loner
from the rest held together by a nest of roots
entrenched in the holy dirt
of Saint Sam Houston
el malvado Santa Anna
battle-blood of the Alamo
sweet bread of the German siedler
rusted barbed-wire of fences
oily cotton boll of the farmer
weather-worn skull of a fire-ant-stricken calf
my grandfather would’ve tried to save.
And even though Lady Bird’s highways are lined with them —
musky-sweet flowers,
family ties,
good intentions —
not every seed will grow
where planted.
Is it easily spread on the wind?
Can it tolerate full sun?
And what happens
when
the parched and crisp soil
becomes suddenly drenched,
clay-like —
unable to breathe?
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LOVE this homage to our home state! How do you explain the bluebonnets to someone from anywhere else? This is such great stuff – who said there was anything wrong with poetry, rather than prose? All your words make pictures in my head – thanks for the beautiful snapshot of one of the things that makes Texas truly unique!
PS – I still have a couple of Dublin Dr. Peppers I’m saving for you if you ever get home to Texas!
Thanks for reading and saying such kind words. And for saving me that DP. Did you see the story about the 100+ year old woman who said her secret to a long life was drinking 3 Dr Peppers a day? Woohoo! We are going to live forever!
I’m back up to three a day, at least on weekends, so it’s good to know I can blame it on a desire for longevity!
Exactly. You and I will laugh at all those nutritionists out there from our rockers!
I didn’t realize you were a poet too. And frankly, I’m grateful to see another novelist’s chagrin for putting readers off longer. Just make me feel a bit of camaraderie. Regards.
Ha! You make me laugh, Kristin. Thanks for reading and commenting. And what’s the world without camaraderie?
I’m glad to know you write poetry, too. So far I have liked everything of yours I have read; and it is not because we have the same hometown. I hope you are working on a new novel.
Thanks you, Barbara. I appreciate your support, always. I have a third novel in the works. But taking a break from it for a while. Thank you again!