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September 22, 2014

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Happy Fall!

Goldenrod has grown long yellow fingers.
A crowd of eager mums are mid-laugh as
Hedgehogs nibble skunk cabbage.
Even white snakeroot,
Abloom at the wood’s edge,
Looks deceptively harmless,
But the deer leave it be.
Purple asters open wide, tiny but cheery.
Summer fairies line their beds with milkweed down,
Make quilts of hydrangea petals and
Dodge spiky, armoured chestnuts.
Dahlias bloom, large as dinner plates.

Happy Fall!

Note: The autumnal equinox is September 23, 2014, and this is the day summer changes to fall in the Northern Hemisphere, where I live in the USA. The earth is now tilting away from the sun and we will have shorter days and less warmth for 6 months.

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Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

September 19, 2014

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Photography, Poetry

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32 Comments

Dragon Spines

In my mind’s eye, I see them fly:
Spiny leaves become dragons on high.
They chase my dreams in the moonlight
Following dust devils up out of sight.
Day comes, catching them in the sky.
They sleep like puppies, and so do I.

Posted by

Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

September 18, 2014

Posted under

Photography, Poetry

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27 Comments

Song for a Friend

My love is like the rose of Sharon and the lily,
Abloom among brambles,
So is my love among the daughters.
As the apple tree thrives in the wood,
So is my love among the sons.
I sit among them with great delight.
The flowers open on the earth;
The birds sing, and even the voice of the turtledove
Is heard in our land.
The winter is past, and the rain has gone.
O my dove, hiding in the clefts of the rock,
In the secret places of the cliffs,
Let me see your face,
Let me hear your voice;
For sweet is your voice.
— Paraphrased from Chapter 2, Song of Solomon (KJV and ESV)

To a friend whose inner beauty
Casts a radiance that warms us all,
And who finds peace and joy in this world
Despite her underlying sadness.
Even as your spirit grieves,
May you be showered with love.

Note: This is dedicated to Morgan, whose loss is fresh. To have been loved is the best feeling of all, and it never fades.

Posted by

Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

September 17, 2014

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Photography, Poetry

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46 Comments

Butterflies Wanted

Butterflies wanted,
Butterflies sadly missed.
Long blooms languish,
For want of their friends.
One swallowtail came, all alone.
Two cabbage butterflies danced and played,
But where have the Monarchs gone?
I remember them from my youth.
Now my youth is gone and so are the Monarchs.

Posted by

Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

September 14, 2014

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Photography, Poetry

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35 Comments

Red Feather

One feather with vanes of red,
Laying on the ground so blue
Fills me with a sudden dread,
Now will all the leaves change, too?

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Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

September 8, 2014

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Photography, Poetry

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41 Comments

Witchy Flowers Three

Wonderful witchy flowers
Vivid visions
Spread smiles
Sing in sunshine
Fascinate fairies
Enchant elves
Bewitch bees
Weaken my knees
Even the sky weeps
With longing

Posted by

Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

September 5, 2014

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Poetry

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41 Comments

Red Dragon Flower

Red dragon, hidden on a green stalk,
Do you enjoy the cool rain?
You must bank your fires, release your heat,
To embrace your opposite.
Imagination spirals in the red,
Peace is possible for all.

Posted by

Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

September 4, 2014

Posted under

Photography, Poetry

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32 Comments

Blue Wildflower

So many names, how can I choose?
Wild bachelor’s buttons,
Cornflowers,
Blue daisies,
Ragged sailors,
Chicory.

Your delicate, blue petals tremble in a breeze,
Tough stems stretch toward the sun,
Blue eyes open for one day only.
You are called hendibeh in the East,
Witloof in Belgium,
Succory to the Romans.

So many names, one humble flower.
Some say you open doors, deep magic.
I try to see through your fae portal.
You open to the sky, following the sun.

Some call you a weed, some add you to salad,
Some roast your taproot to balance coffee.
I’ll call you a wildflower.
I’ll admire you on the wayside,
A flower more ancient than humankind.

Your humble eyes look beyond me,
Your roots are in the distant past.
Perhaps your soft blue eyes
Will smile on my grandchildren,
Long after I’m gone.

Note: This flower is chicory, a common wildflower all over the world, used as an herb, a coffee additive and its many names inspired this poem: blue daisy, blue dandelion, blue sailors, blue weed, bunk, coffeeweed, common chicory, cornflower, hendibeh, horseweed, ragged sailors, succory, wild bachelor’s buttons, wild endive, witloof

Posted by

Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

August 31, 2014

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Photography, Poetry

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35 Comments

Sunset Charm

A magic charm,
A balm for the soul —
Just add one sunset to
The first star of the night,
Throw in a child’s laugh,
And a heart-felt wish.

Note: This sunset was in West Dennis, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod. I may not have had internet connectivity on my mini-break, but I had connections to the clouds, sunsets and stars. 🙂 I got home, and my internet connection is spotty, and loading webpages nearly impossible. I will try to visit you when we have solved this new problem. Have a wonderful week ahead, my friends.

Posted by

Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

August 31, 2014

Posted under

Photography, Poetry

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35 Comments

In-Between Weekend

Salty breezes lift away cares.
Color spills across the water,
Too intense for the sky to contain.
Horseshoe crabs dance a blurry ballet,
Twisting and turning in the gentle waves.
Seabirds swim quietly, at peace.
Twilight wanes, in-between day and night.
Summer is ending; school is about to begin.
In-between holds powerful magic.
Tomorrow seems far away,
Yesterday, a pleasant, hazy memory.
The right-now is a time of beauty.
Fleeting, but all the more precious for it.

Note: Happy Labor Day Weekend! This sunset was photographed on the West Dennis Beach, Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

Posted by

Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

August 29, 2014

Posted under

Holiday, Photography, Poetry

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83 Comments

Full Bloom

Punch of peach,
Late summer bloom,
Labored year round,
For this shining moment
At the end of summer.

Happy Labor Day to all those in the United States!!

Note: This bloom is a daylily of a most unusual shade. It looks like a rose, doesn’t it?

Posted by

Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

August 26, 2014

Posted under

Photography, Poetry

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37 Comments

Secret Folk

Deep in the wildwood,
Beneath the green leaves,
Hide a welter of wee folk.
They play tricks, keep their secrets,
Hobnob with toads and kiss dragonflies.
Tuesdays, they take tea with an elderly dragon,
Nibbling hazelnut tarts and sunshine flan.