No one can remember for sure
when the last sunny day was.
We know we have to be careful
about wishing the rain gone
because we could doom ourselves to
a summer of drought.
And we know there are places
parched and dry,
longing for this rain we would wish away.
We know that the rain is necessary for,
is responsible for,
our big trees.
We know these things.
But the grass is up past our ankles
surging toward our knees, needing to be cut.
Every one of last fall's acorns that remain
in the front flowerbed has sprouted.
We murder entire oak forests every day or two,
yanking up seedlings that haven't yet cut
the umbilical cord to their acorn.
There are puddles everywhere
and mud everywhere.
Mosquitoes
and ticks
buzz and hover
on the brink of a banner year.
Everywhere we look we see gray or green.
We are longing for blue.
©Mary Lee Hahn, 2011
It looks like we might get a small reprieve this weekend, thank the heavens that have poured on us. But what will I be doing? Grade cards! ARGHH!!!!
Julie has the Poetry Friday round up today at The Drift Record.
Mary Lee, I absolutely love this poem. I followed your poems in April and enjoyed reading them. Just never got a chance to tell you.
ReplyDeleteThis one is a connection for all of us in Ohio. I long for blue!
Monsoons five out of the last seven days and we are longing for blue in Colorado too. Even though we know we will be crying for water all summer! I love this poem too!
ReplyDeleteWonderful poem, ML. Hope you can enjoy some blue this weekend. Meanwhile, we've all turned into ducks over here.
ReplyDeleteBy the time the poem concluded I, too, was longing for the blue. Great poem, Mary Lee.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous poem - especially love that murder line, "...yanking up seedlings that haven't yet cut
ReplyDeletethe umbilical cord to their acorn."
Wishing you sunny skies soon!
boy, ain't it the truth. we actually had to reactivate the heat this past week. it's mid may and we still have fall/winter sweaters out.
ReplyDeleteyou captured the spirit of these days wonderfully.
I liked this, too, with the murder and mosquitoes and need for blue all connected. The sun came out for a few minutes when I went to get the mail, and people cheered in the parking lot. Then all the guys in the neighborhood started mowing their lawns. Now it's thundering again, and our dog is not happy.
ReplyDeleteGlad at least you found inspiration!
And as for me, I love the simplicity of your last lines...
ReplyDelete"Everywhere we look we see gray or green./We are longing for blue." The heaviness of your collective mood is well conveyed.
Let there be blue this weekend,
and harvesting of grass!
I love this poem too! We have had a solid week of rain and indoor recess. Next week is going to be sunny YAY! My grass really needs cutting today.
ReplyDeleteWhat a timely and well captured piece. Love the idea of remembering this crazy weather in a poem. I feel inspired. The acorn umbilical cords are genius.
ReplyDeleteAlthough, I do have to say that the ending made me pause a minute because "blue" signifies water a lot of the time which threw me off. :)