Supposedly February is the shortest month, but it sure doesn’t feel like it this year. It’s gone on and on and on….Laura Shovan’s February Poetry Project has been a welcome distraction from my mid-winter doldrums, although keeping up with the daily art prompts has been tough this past week. I think I might be three or four behind! Eek! During break next week, I’m excited to kick back and enjoy catching up and keeping up. Here are two of my recent efforts:
unsigned needlepoint
Blessing for a Rabbit
May your path be smooth and easy
your soft fur free from clinging burrs
May you leap with grace
and land with certainty
and always be downwind
May you see farmers’ backs
more than their faces
and find warm shelter in stormy weather
May your days be carrot and parsley blessed
And when those days reach their end,
may you slip into peace
in floral scented shade
to wander midst the bounty
of McGregor’s garden
M. Hogan (c) 2018
Monday by L.D. Wight
(I’m not sure about the ending two lines of this next poem. I almost left them off and am still pondering removing them.)
Mama’s Mad Again
Her anger roils from the porch
blasts us in the front yard
scours the grins from our faces
Her look could bleach sheets
We stop our impromptu
swirling washtub dance
hoist the heavy tub
and prepare to scrub
but soap and water
can’t remove all stains.
M. Hogan (c) 2018
And then a random poem popped up mid-week:
There is beauty
in yielding
says the birch
who, under heavy weight,
arches gracefully
to touch the snowy ground
M. Hogan (c) 2018
Jone Rush MacCulloch is hosting this week’s Poetry Friday Roundup on her cleverly named blog, Check It Out. While there, you can sign up to receive a Poetry Postcard from a student in April! Win-win!
Nix the comfort zone 
Oh those carrot and parsley days! And wowza, the face that can “bleach sheets.” FABULOUS. The birch is my favorite, though… yielding can be so hard for we, the ego-driven… beautiful, inspiring reminder. Thank you!
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Thanks, Irene. On my drive to work I pass arched birches and always admire their flexibility and beauty.
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I loved both those poems from our group, Molly, and this final ‘new’ one is a gem, “advice” from trees!
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That might be a good title, Linda. I have the worst time titling my writing!
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I do too, then sometimes it arrives!
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Don’t you love how the more you write poetry, the more you write poetry. I had to catch up this week (our Mardi Gras break), but fell behind today. I love your romp through McGregor’s garden.
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I’m way behind at this point, Margaret, but I’m hoping to enjoy productive extra writing time this week while we’re on vacation. I love that you have a Mardi Gras break and enjoyed your week in verse.
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Your arching birch is lovely Molly! I liked this line when I first read it “Her look could bleach sheets” I can picture her expression. Have fun with the extra time next week, sounds like a welcome luxury!
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Thanks, Michelle. I’m looking forward to some uninterrupted writing time–a luxury indeed!
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I like all your poems, but your rabbit blessing speaks to me in particular (because we have an elderly carrot-loving rabbit).
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It was fun to consider what might be a blessing for a rabbit. I tried to channel Peter Rabbit, but not having rabbits myself, I’m sure I missed some key things!
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I read your three poems to hannah as she drove us from solvang, california down to santa barbara. blown away is not an overstatement. the teacher/writer from the mid-coast has talent. keep ’em coming. car rides are great for reading poetry to each other. a captive audience and time to reflect on them and talk about them. thanks for coming along for the ride yesterday.
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Wow, Dan, thanks! I’m so glad my poems accompanied you and Hannah on your car ride. Some California warmth and sunshine sounds great right about now, and at least they and you were able to enjoy it 🙂 But, hey, it hit about 40˚F here today with full sun for a while—that’s something to celebrate. Though we are supposed to get 4-6 inches of snow overnight. Sigh…
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I feel “carrot and parsley blessed” and look forward to reading all of your February poems as this difficult month progresses.
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Diane, I’ve certainly enjoyed all of your poems and wish I could keep up as well as you have!
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I still LOVE that bunny blessing. I find those last two lines of Mama’s Mad Again haunting and so true. There are stains that cannot be removed by soap and scrubbing. And those birches are lovely!
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Thanks, Kay! Now if only I could catch up! lol
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Your poem, Blessing for a Rabbit, yanked at my heart in more ways than one. We suddenly lost one of ours this past week but reading the poetry allowed me to relive his life and know that now he has “slipped into peace in a floral scented shade to wander midst the bounty of McGregor’s garden.”
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Oh, Amy, I’m so sorry. I know how much your fur babies mean to you. I’m glad that my poem offered some solace. It’s a nice idea to think of rabbits enjoying free access to McGregor’s garden, isn’t it? Take care!
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I sure loved seeing that familiar embroidery piece in the offerings on FB. I sure hope I can get my act together and join in again soon!
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The embroidery was one of my favorite prompts to respond to, Mary Lee. I love that you have this image, too. What a fun coincidence. Hope to see you there soon!
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I also find February to be a blah month that just never seems to end, though thankfully we have Valentines and Lunar New Year and poetry to help get us through the last push to spring!
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I usually enjoy February, but this year… yuck!
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I enjoyed reading both your poems again. Your birch, arching under snow, is lovely wisdom. … and it kinda goes with the “tree theme” in our prompt today.
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That would be the prompt I haven’t responded to yet…hmmmm…I wonder…lol
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As I scrolled down to leave a comment, I read Irene’s and discovered that she expressed my thoughts exactly. Ditto what Irene said, Molly. Brava!
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Thanks, Michelle!
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Molly, you have been blessing us with wonderful thoughts in verse. I say leave those two last lines in. Can you capture your last poem in a photo and offer it to my winter gallery? I love it.
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I’ll see what I can do, Carol. I can’t believe I don’t have snowy birch pictures, but apparently I don’t! Thanks for the invitation to submit 🙂
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All three of these spoke to me. I have enjoyed reading everyone’s response to the art. And the shortest month has become the longest.
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Thanks! This February Project has been wonderful. I’m hoping I don’t run out of steam for the March SOL Challenge!
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Love these! I especially love the last one since birch trees are my favorite tree (presuming one can have a favorite tree).
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I’m all for having a favorite tree! I suspect mine might vary with the season though. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
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That last poem. Ahhh. I feel my bowed heart has grace, a blessing from this weight on it. I love that look that could bleach sheets, and I remember it well from childhood. I like your ending.
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Thanks, Brenda!
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