Fairies dance and twinkle,
mixing with fireflies.
Lilac skies reach toward
lavender lakes.
Goldenrod nods
farewell to the sun.
Mountains darken
and trees disappear in
the dimming light.
Still the dragonflies hum.
Children seek the first star,
the first wish.
They believe in magic.
Copyright 2015 Brenda Davis Harsham
Find dragons in trees, fairies in running brooks,
Dwarves in stones and magic in everything.
— Brenda Davis Harsham
Note: My quote is a baldfaced repurposing of an older quote: “Finds tongues in trees, books in running brooks,/ Sermons in stones, and good in everything.” Can you guess who it is? William Shakespeare from As You Like It. It reminds me of C.S. Lewis, though.
sugar sweet fragrance
berries form beside blooms
even bears hunger
Copyright 2015 Brenda Davis Harsham
Light moves and
shadows turn cartwheels
in a dappled glade.
A shadow might be
anything,
squirrel, gopher,
dog, deer or sprite.
Or the absence of
someone dear.
A dappled glade
can contain
anything at all,
or everything.
Copyright 2015 Brenda Davis Harsham
River rambles and curves,
shallow then deep,
rocky or smooth,
changeable as the weather.
Under the bridge are dark places,
deep pools with hidden depths.
The biggest fish hide there.
Aquatic plants sway
in the current, roots unseen.
The burbling water
covers whispers made, but
sounds echo above,
in the dim covered bridge,
where magic dwells.
Gossamer webs hold fast
lingering traces of lovers past.
Children, clapping hands
and believing in fairies,
once danced here.
Their shadows remain
sweetening the breezes.
Copyright 2015 Brenda Davis Harsham
Note: These photographs were taken in New Hampshire in the White Mountains.
Bee magic,
deft and sure,
never lingering to despair.
Bee light,
zip and zoom,
ignoring all but the nectar.
Bee strong,
tough and enduring,
working nonstop all summer.
Bee safe,
at risk of harm,
you give back more than you take.
Copyright 2015 Brenda Davis Harsham
Note: Despite colony collapse disorder, the bees are plentiful in the field. Without them, all of us would be out there with Q-tips, pollinating or perishing. Long live the bee!
Raindrops linger in a
Caressing slide down
Purple trumpet petals.
Petals are lavender tutus
Worn by fae ballerinas
In endless pirouhette.
Pirouhette in the rain,
Cool on a hot brow,
Steamy from summer fun.
Fun is full moon magic,
On a long bright night.
Dew falls like raindrops.
Copyright 2015 Brenda Davis Harsham
Note: This poem is my variant of a chain poem. The last word of the stanza is used to start the next stanza, and then the last word of the poem loops back to the first word. Tonight my daughter couldn’t sleep with the full moon shining through her window. It’s the first full moon she ever remembers seeing, and it has a special magic for her. Do you remember seeing your first full moon?
Plus, YEAH to Carly Lloyd who again slotted home a Penalty Kick, leading the women’s U.S. soccer team to a semi-final win against Germany. Yeah to the whole U.S. women’s soccer team!! The final of the women’s world cup is Sunday, and I wish I could be there!!
Behind the ferns,
A dragon shakes the rain
From golden scales,
Yawns, stretches and
Rises from her rest.
Human eyes are fooled,
By shadow and light,
A color camouflage:
We see only
An iris at its best.
Copyright 2015 Brenda Davis Harsham
Note: This dragon is dedicated to gardeners, landscapers, garden center owners and nature lovers everywhere. To people whose lives are dedicated to the transient, yet enduring, beauty of nature. If you’ve ever planted a single bulb or watered a houseplant, this is for you, too. And it’s already time for Poetry Friday again! How did that happen so fast? This week is hosted by Jama at Jama’s Alphabet Soup, a haven of tasty poetry.
Purple Loosestrife on the river
Butterfly bush longing for a butterfly
Awash in Asters
Two-purple Irises
Deepest Purple Iris
Note: Cee has called for purple this week. Purple Prose is writing that is unnecessarily flowery or ornate. In honor of my purple post, I will write some purple poetry:
Amethyst petals embrace the bee,
stamen and stigma anoint him
delicately
with amber pollen.
The drunken bee flies
erratically,
bringing back dusty manna of
lush lavender, iris,
loosestrife and pine tree,
into the humming hive
far up in the forest canopy.
Are his eyes still full of
wildflower fields and
purple panoply?
The drone
dances in the honeycomb,
transforming
gold dust into honey.
How does the tiny being do it?
What magic knows he
that none of us can see?
Copyright 2015 Brenda Davis Harsham
This is a day to remember the fallen.
And to celebrate the magic of being alive.
Happy Memorial Day!
Warmly, Brenda
Note: Monday is a Federal holiday. Originally it honored the many casualties of the US Civil War, which outnumbered all other US wars combined until Vietnam. Americans are notorious for independence, pride and an amalgam of culture and traditions. In my family, we grill outdoors, play sports and picnic. We might kick around a soccer ball in the park or ride bicycles tomorrow. What does your family do? Does your country have a Memorial Day to honor those who fell in war?
Earth has everything we need. Let it be enough for us all.
May you find the magic in the earth today and every day!
Warmly, Brenda
Note: Sorry this is late, but I spent today in the garden with my kids. My son whose foot is broken managed to rake up the soil where our water access was replumbed. And then he scattered grass seed like a champ. I hope you found a good way to celebrate!
On this bench, many times I have contemplated skinned knees, heard stories of woe or watched battles royal fought by three- and four-foot folk. Now the snow and cold drives us indoors, where children’s pains seem more internal as well.
Speak softly
Without haste,
For a word,
Ill-placed,
May strike a blow
To one hurt
On the inside.
This we can avert.
Reflect on any
Plans or actions.
Evil arises from
Creation of factions.
Harsh words divide,
Conquer and defeat.
Imagine being the other.
Use compassion. Repeat.
Whether we are talking about children, adults, religions, towns or countries, we all need to pause and reflect. To imagine life as the other.
I don’t like to moralize,
Or antagonize,
But in the face of evil
Speak I will.
Choose an action
From compassion.
Copyright 2015 Brenda Davis Harsham
Note: The combination of poetry, interspersed in prose, is called a haibun. This recent rash of school shootings, terrorism and racial and religious violence moved me to speak together with many others, in a movement started by Yvonne Spence. Let’s create a better world for our children, a magical, safe world where differences are celebrated rather than used to divide and ridicule.
Friendly Fairy Tales 