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Friday, January 22, 2010

Poetry Friday -- Sweet


Joy
by Julie Cadwallader Staub

Who could need more proof than honey—

How the bees with such skill and purpose
enter flower after flower
sing their way home
to create and cap the new honey
just to get through the flowerless winter.

And how the bear with intention and cunning
raids the hive
shovels pawful after pawful into his happy mouth
bats away indignant bees
stumbles off in a stupor of satiation and stickiness.

And how we humans can't resist its viscosity
its taste of clover and wind
its metaphorical power:
don't we yearn for a land of milk and honey?
don't we call our loved ones "honey?"

all because bees just do, over and over again, what they were made to do.

(the rest of the poem is at The Writer's Almanac)



I've posted some heavy-duty "gettin' through the rough times" poems in the last couple of months. (Thanks for your patience, Regular Readers.) When I saw this poem on The Writer's Almanac last week, I knew I wanted to use it. Partly for a change of mood, partly because I knew I had taken that great bee-on-a-sunflower shot last September (click on the picture to fill your screen with JOY), and mostly because my class has (finally) come together and I know again that I am doing what I was made to do...and the world is sweet.

The round-up this week is at the blog of the author whose book gets to wear the shiny Caldecott Honor Medal: Liz in Ink is the blog, Liz Garton Scanlon is the author. (Marla Frazee made the winning pictures, but couldn't have done it without Liz's fabulous words!)

11 comments:

  1. Ooh, I love, love, love this poem. And what an excellent shot you took! No sunflowers here in non-sunny Glasgow, sadly, but I live in hope of summer again...

    Happy Friday, Cousin. Glad things are looking up!

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  2. Anonymous6:35 AM

    WHAT a way to start the day! And I'm so happy you're feeling the uplift. Who couldn't with a poem like this? Really.

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  3. Anonymous8:24 AM

    Thanks so much for sharing this. Of course it was meant to be, and meant to be sweet! How is it that I forget that now and again?!

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  4. I love this poem, too! And what a gorgeous shot of that sunflower.

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  5. Anonymous9:29 AM

    Love the photo, nice shot! And the poem makes me long for spring.

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  6. Yes! I love it! Thank your for posting this today!! It really is sweet and sticky, thank the good Lord.

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  7. Wow, thank you so much for the uplifting poem and beautiful photo!! Needed that bright shot of color on this gloomy, rainy day. Glad things are better for you :).

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  8. Wow, what an amazing combination- a beautiful photograph, and a glorious, joy-filled poems. I'm going to post the last seven lines on my refrigerator and by my desk at work. Thanks for this gift (and like everyone else, I'm glad things are looking up)!

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  9. What a wonderful way to start my day. Love both the picture and the poem. Of course, the teacher in me is trying to figure out how to incorporate the poem in one of my clases.

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  10. Thanks so much for sharing this poem and beautiful photo :)
    Loved them

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  11. Thank you. I feel blessed by that poem and your photo. Poetry Friday is a kind of honey, right? Sweetness holding us together.

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