Playing with form when writing poetry is always interesting. Today’s Verselove prompt introduced a poetic form called a cascade. (Check out the Verselove post for more details.)
I love the native giant kelp (macrocystis pyrifera) that grows in our coastal waters. It’s know for its fast growth–up to a foot a day–in ideal conditions. Unfortunately, conditions are not so ideal these days. As our water temperatures rise, kelp struggles. And like a forest on the land, a kelp forest supports an entire ecosystem. Some piles on the beach are normal, but too many piles ignites worry about this special place. I’ve been teaching my young students about this unique algae for years…and have fallen in love with its special qualities. Maybe I’ve illustrated some of them in this cascade of a poem.
Deceptively benign to view, sea flowers blossom in the harsh environment of the tide pool. These beautiful flowers are actually sea anemones, described as “predatory marine invertebrates,” animals designed to paralyze their prey with their venomous tentacles. These carnivorous chameleons sometimes cover themselves in shells—looking like sprinkle-covered donuts rather than fierce, long living sea life. I love to photograph them, noticing the ways their colors change with the light and water, and reveling in their resilience.
After I posted Cormorant Convention yesterday, a friend and environmentalist reached out to let me know about the seabird starvation event that is happening in coastal California. Cormorants, pelicans, and murres are being affected–not able to find sufficient fish to keep them healthy. The Verselove prompt this morning was about love (or other abstract concepts or emotions) and worry started weaving itself into my writing brain. (I encourage you to check out the mentor text–both the original inspiration and the one written by Kate.)
I worry about birds
the kind of worry that sprouts wings
and flies close to my heart.
Worry doesn’t limit itself though
it grows round
and orbits the sun.
Can I actually enjoy summer weather
when it comes in February
without the dread of what will come next?
Worry snakes itself around my lungs
keeping my breath shallow.
Am I doing enough for the planet?
Does re-using, re-cycling, re-ducing, composting, picking up trash
I had planned to write about a place I love, the beach, in line with the Verselove prompt. But then during my end-of-the-work-week beach walk this afternoon I noticed a cormorant standing on the beach. Cormorants aren’t really common beach birds and are not regular visitors to our local beach. So seeing them always send a shiver of concern up my spine. I worry that they are sick when I see them on the beach. Of course I took a few pictures and then continued my walk. Then, looking out at the waves (good sized today) I noticed the tons of birds in the water…I thought they would be pelicans. That would be usual. But no, they were cormorants! They bounced with the waves. Some flew by and others were making their way out of the surf and parading toward the beach. It was obviously a cormorant convention! What brought them? I have no idea. Maybe a delicious delicacy in the waters? Or maybe simply a need to commune on the beach or the hope of catching a glimpse of the Artemis II spacecraft on its way to splashdown?
A playful prompt from Verselove: pick a photo and begin and end with alliteration. When our garden teacher brought this delightfully huge lacy looking cauliflower into the lounge, I had to snap a photo. And the poem is some fun word play.
I love to visit bookstores, so earlier this week while I was on Oahu I came across da Shop, a wonderful eclectic bookstore with so many fun books to browse (and buy). I was on the verge of buying this interesting picture book about the Japanese poet Basho called, A Pond, A Poet, and Three Pestsby Caroline Adderson. It’s a cute story imagining what Basho was experiencing when he created his famous Haiku:
Old pond–
Frog jumps in
Splash!
Or some version of that. There are many different translations. Today’s poetry prompt at Verselove suggests creating an un-found poem or an Antonymic (one using antonyms) version. While I’m not so sure I actually followed the directions, I did have fun playing around with my own Haiku-ish poem inspired by Basho’s The Old Pond.
When the day dawns cloudy and you have a sunset event planned, dreams of color fade to black and gray. Rain teased, moments of downpour mixed with fizzled drizzle. Nothing to keep you inside or suggest storm. Jacket nor umbrella made their way to into the day’s supplies. Time nears and the sun makes a path through the maze of clouds, an unexpected guest appearance.
Thinking Through My Lens 