Thanks to Jone for her amazing poem and photograph that arrived on a lovely plaque:
summer days
families gather
for sunset
skipping stones into the waves
wishing on the first star
— Jone Rush MacCulloch
I wrote this list poem, in response:
Things I Don’t Want to Forget about Summer
Icy drinks after gardening,
the tiny, green tomatoes of July,
fireflies on a twilight stroll,
new onions at the farmer’s market,
eating Phở on movie night,
my daughter downhill, no training wheels,
allegro appassionato crescendos,
orthodonture rubber bands (everywhere),
ice cream at half-price,
harvesting mint for suntea,
blessed rain breaking the heat,
waves, tumbling, saltwater in my nose.
Painting toenails on a rainy night,
lake-water on hot skin,
my daughter, loose teeth, band-aids,
a dragonfly on my hand.
Refilling the ice. Again.
The scent of barbecues and mulch,
writing poetry late at night
to the hum of a dusty fan,
deadheading, trimming, watering,
waking late, editing, cutting and pasting.
Brown bunnies eating my kale.
My daughter healed, her white smile.
Copyright 2017 Brenda Davis Harsham
Notes: Happy Poetry Friday and thanks to Donna Smith at Mainely Write for hosting!
Le gasp! I am very enamored by your poem. An icy, minty summer Cheers to you. Brenda! 😀 xx
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My daughter had mint in her water just today. I love summer.
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Very nice way to describe summer! Well done!
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It’s been a great summer so far. Hope yours is, too.
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“Summer days”–what a wonderful place to start for both of your poems! I really enjoyed the slower pace of Jone’s poem and then the building crescendo in your poem Brenda!” These ending lines hit home for me, thanks and hope all enjoy our lingering summer days!
“writing poetry late at night
to the hum of a dusty fan,
deadheading, trimming, watering,
waking late, editing, cutting and pasting.
Brown bunnies eating my kale.
My daughter healed, her white smile.
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Thanks, Michelle. We’re taking my oldest to summer camp. Bittersweet.
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What a wonderful way to capture your summer. I’m sorry brown bunnies ate your kale!
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Thanks, Mandy. Me, too! I love kale.
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Great poems! I love summer and you an amazing job capturing all the wonderful things about it. Nicely penned!
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Thanks! I am loving it this year.
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Both poems are affecting. Summer never seems to be long enough, does it? That’s why poets write–to extend the experience and preserve the memories.
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Everyone’s experience is a bit different, but we have enough overlap to be able to relate to each other, I think. I had longer summers in NC, and I loved them. I miss that.
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What a fun list poem (and a peek into your summer world)! I need to write my own version. Capture the memories before they wither in the hot late August/September sun.
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You should write your own. I tried to put as many sensory details into it as I could, colors, flavors, scents, sounds, to make the moments stay fresh. Have fun writing yours.
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Jone’s image is stunning! Her words remind me of the Rhode Island vacations my family took when I was a kid, and your words bring back the summers when my boys were little. So many happy memories. Thank you for reminding me. Enjoy these last few weeks, Brenda!
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Thanks, Catherine. Yes, Jone’s plaque is gorgeous. It made me realize how fleeting the summers are. I will miss these chaotic summers when my kids are grown, I can see that. My poem is a little diary of our days together.
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You and Jone make me fall in love with summer all over again. Thank you!
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I love it more now that I see it through my kids’ eyes. 🙂
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I can relate very well to your poem, Brenda – nicely done!
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Thanks, Matt.
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How fabulous to have two wonderful poems side by side. Thanks for sharing the wealthy bounty of summer thoughts, Brenda.
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Thanks, Carol. Jone’s poem brought out so many thoughts, I had to catch them with my butterfly net. 🙂
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Beautiful poems, both. I love the juxtaposition of these two lines in your poem:
deadheading, trimming, watering,
waking late, editing, cutting and pasting.
Gardening and writing go hand in hand, don’t they?
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They do, and they feed the soul in different ways. Luckily one set, you can do sitting down. 🙂
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Ice cream at half price? I’ll go for that!
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$3 Breyers! I’m there. 🙂
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The postcard from Jone is beautiful, Brenda and your list poem, “ah, summer” with so many delights. Not over yet, but soon. Hoping the eclipse will be a big exclamation mark for the end!
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Thanks, Linda. Jone has a peaceful spirit and a way of focusing on what matters.
Such excitement having an eclipse over our country.
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Such a fun poem that i can totally relate to!
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Thanks. Sorry for delayed response. This got hung up in my spam folder.
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I’m so bad at checking for spam
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Me, too. I usually just delete it all.
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That really IS summer. The line about downhill with no training wheels brings back a very special memory. Thank you. What a summer season of writing you are in!
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Hi Linda, I am writing every day. Thinking about writing when I’m not actually writing. Thinking about plot and sequencing when I’m reading or watching a movie. LOL It’s like an obsession, I suppose. 🙂
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these both evoke such lovely summer images, brenda –
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I bet you had days like mine. 🙂
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Reblogged this on By the Mighty Mumford and commented:
I GET THE GIST—A LONG, LONG, DESIRED LIST! 🙂
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So many good things to list. I was hard to limit it to two stanzas.
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Me too!
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That was kismet. I love that we were both just late enough. 🙂
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Both of these poems are lovely and summery, Brenda.
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Brenda, such synchronicity that we both shared about summer and the coast. And that our poems arrived the same day. I love your art.
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Thanks, Jone. I am an untrained watercolor enthusiast. 😉
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Thanks, Robbie!
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