It’s day 41 of the school year (Who’s counting? lol), and I’m still adjusting to the back-in-school pace. Taking pictures helps me escape from the whirlwind, and calms and centers me. Mostly I’m photographing on the weekends, but sometimes, like with the double rainbow, a photo moment steals into the work week. Sometimes, in a lovely added benefit, the photos themselves serve as a springboard into poems. The first one was inspired by Georgia Heard’s prompt, “If the wind painted the sky, what colors would it choose?”
After a lashing tumult
of rain and hail
Wind offers Sky
an apology
©Molly Hogan
Autumn Striptease
brazen tree
shimmies in the breeze
preparing to shift and drop
her scarlet veil of leaves
one
by
one
a tantalizing
slow motion release
until her limbs
lay bare
for all to see
©Molly Hogan
I hope that fall is offering you beautiful moments as well, and some time to enjoy them.
This week’s Poetry Friday Round up is hosted by Jone Rush McCulloch.
Nix the comfort zone 
Love the striptease. My neighbor is always apologizing for the mess her sycamore leaves leave. I’ll be shareing this with her.
LikeLike
Beautiful photos and poems. The sugar maples are indeed brazen! Here in CT, too.
LikeLike
We’re lucky that wind offers such a flamboyant and public apology!
And oh, that tease of a tree, “shimmying,” “tantalizing,” baring her limbs in “slow motion.”
Two lovely lovely image poems!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks! Image poems have been my go-to recently. It’s been such a gorgeous autumn here.
LikeLike
Oh, that apology…much better than flowers. So beautiful. It’s public only for those who go out an look up.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was a stunning rainbow 🙂 The best of apologies!
LikeLike
“The wind offers the sky an apology!” Love the thought of that interaction. And an “autumn striptease!” Perfect. Who thinks of such images! I’m glad I have you to do that. Last night’s wind and rain finally got through to our red oak trees. We have a blanket of water-glistened brown covering our yard and into the woods this morning.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It sounds like you woke up to your very own image poem!
LikeLike
Please send me the apology rainbow poem in a higher resolution for my little project. Thanks!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I need to get those to you–sorry!
LikeLike
I love these personifications so much, maybe especially that tree since we don’t get much leaf changing down here. Those brazen limbs, indeed…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Autumn always strikes me as brazen, and this tree standing all alone looked ready to take center stage. What a beauty!
LikeLike
There are many times I slow down just to look closely at the colors, a “brazen tree”, Molly. Autumn fills us up for sure. And your first photo feels like the award-winner in all contests, then your apology from the wind – wonderful!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Linda. It’s been a beautiful fall here, though concerningly warm. I still have annuals blooming in my pots!
LikeLike
Molly, ooh! the colors im your autumn photos are amazing. I think you captured autumn at its finest moments. Autumn will surely sparkle until the full striptease act is over. What a clever thought and the rainbow is a piece of art. Thank you for sharing your image poems with us.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Carol! I’ve been enjoying the scenery for sure!
LikeLike
Enjoyed your ekphrastic offerings, Molly, both with their own distinct colourful shape and personality. Keep on snapping!
LikeLike
So big of sky to plead remorse -and with such performative drama 🙂
Gorgeous photos, Molly! I hope they have helped you slow your pace.
LikeLike
Your photos are just gorgeous, Molly, and I’m especially taken with that double rainbow. Beautiful. The lush images are clearly inspiring lush language. The rainbow as apology is lovely, and oh, that brazen tree!
LikeLike
Love these! Both surprised me in a good way. 🙂
LikeLike
Brazen is such a great word to describe the color of a tree. Both the photos are stunning. I like the sky apology.
LikeLike