07 April 2014

Employ the Wind (in April for John)



When I sing of you I will employ the wind
and be schooled by wind in how the world sounds
then shout stout-stemmed your praises.
The silent roar of the vast

stretch of indigo sky gathers March gales,
zigzags twisted leaves here and there
to trumpet your eager energy harnessing
turbine gusts for family and friends,

shunning idleness headlong into spring
when winds shake the meadows awake,
air scented with bergamot from tawny trees.
You, too, stir your aromatic medicine

sweet scented. I breathe you in and sketch
myself larger than before. We cluster together,
whisper winds gentle above our heads, thorns
blunted, sadness a shallow thing as elder roots grow down.

Summer steals the sun and tells the story
of the grasses, strong waves of wind rush,
thrust and pummel stalks that sway in response,
force dampened not cursed, is this not your way?

And in the fall when flowers will not
wait for snow's howl, wind swoops and
swivels, wakes death to claim its rightful
place, blows change lashed to life, unafraid.

You wander and wend, my love, sail near
the four winds, use breath for resonant sounding.


One Wednesday, a long time ago, the guest contributor over at Imaginary Gardens with Real Toads was De Jackson of Whimsy Gizmo who had us choose from a list of intriguing words and phrases in a botanical book to construct our poem. It took me until now to finish it. April is my Honey's birthday month. Posted for Real Toads Open Link Monday.



16 comments:

  1. I so love your opening line.. it is a pathway to the imagination, and the poem is packed full of amazing imagery to awaken the senses.

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  2. I loved to be "schooled by the wind" and am often in awe at the "silent roar of vast." I imagine I am hearing the hum and spin of the universe. This was fun to read and be uplifted by. http://looseleafnotes.com

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    1. The hum and spin of the universe brings us right to the marvel of the person next to us.

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  3. Thanks for your kind words, Kerry.

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  4. 'The silent roar of the vast'...draws our mind inward and teaches us to appreciate as well.....beautiful lines

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  5. " I breathe you in and sketch
    myself larger than before"

    What a beautiful expression of how another can make us better.

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    1. I really like that about long term relationships. It seems a unique way to see the world from a wholly different view and grow ourselves in the process.

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  6. So much beauty in this..."When I sing of you I will employ the wind" I love that

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    1. Employ the wind was one of the phrases out of the botanical book and just seemed to fit.

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  7. I love the fierce tenderness here, the deep empathy for this other, this knowledge and praise that has a springtime vitality even as the years do their work. A very heartfelt recognition. It's one of the great prizes of growing deep into someone else.

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    1. Yes, it is surely the reward of 40 years of marriage- to recognize and be recognized in a heartfelt way. Thank you for your close reading of this.

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  8. Oh, this is beautiful, Mary. I think my favorite line is "I breathe you in and sketch
    myself larger than before. " I can tell you spent a lot of time on this poem, as each stanza is so very well crafted. It is nice that the two of you can 'sail the four winds' together!

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    1. It is indeed nice and I count myself most fortunate.

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  9. you had me hooked from that opening stanza....employing the wind to understand how the world sounds...this is a marvelous piece of poetry....well developed...and smiling at the sentiment...

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