We walked companionably along the bog boardwalk, admiring the vegetation and simply enjoying the day. Paula, who had wandered up ahead, walked back toward us.

“I just wanted to let you know,” she said, “There’s a snake up ahead.”

“What!?!” several of us chorused.

“Is it blocking the path?” someone asked.

“No,” Paula said, “It’s on the path by one of the benches. Off to the side.”

“Well, what’s it doing?”

“It’s just kind of flicking its tongue at me, ” she said. “I came back to tell you because I didn’t want you to come around the corner and be startled.”

We walked forward, some of us more tentatively than others, rounding a bend in the walkway. Then… there it was! About 10 feet  2-3 feet long. It wasn’t on the path, but it was facing it. In primo launch position!

Photo credit to the valiant S. Koenig

I looked at it skeptically, eyeballing the path around it. There was certainly room to walk around it, but it would put me within range. Why was the snake just sitting there, still facing the path, flicking its tongue? Was it smelling us and considering how good we’d taste? That flicking tongue sure looked a lot like someone licking their lips…anticipating! Whatever it was doing, it clearly was up to no good. An innocent snake would have moved along by now.

“Ugh! I hate snakes!” I shuddered.

“Take a picture,” someone suggested.

“You take a picture!” I responded in my most mature manner.

That’s when it happened. A few yards past the snake, two of my friends had stopped and were looking back at the snake and at us. A movement caught my eye. I froze. As horror rendered me mute, I watched another snake wriggle up and through an opening between wooden slates in the walkway, right between my friends, and then slither over the edge and into the bog.

My mind was immediately filled with Indiana Jones-like scenes of slithering snakes swarming in massive colonies beneath us. I could imagine them squeezing through the wooden slats all around us, up and onto the walkway, to form great writhing piles of snakes. How many of them might be under there???

“Oh MY GOD! Did you see that???” I whispered ( or maybe screeched).

“What?” they all asked.

I didn’t stop to answer. I hightailed it around the first snake and all of them, moving rapidly down the path, stomping my feet down dramatically as I went, hoping to stave off any impending reptile offensive.

Further down the path, after my friends had caught up, I explained what I’d seen.

“Are you sure?” they asked me.

Sure!?  The image had blazed into my retinas! Yes, I was sure! But, it turned out, no one else had seen the snake. Not one of them. They looked at me skeptically.

“Maybe you imagined it, ” one fine, supportive friend suggested.

I shuddered again, replaying the reel in my mind. That smooth reptilian body squeezing up and over the boardwalk. Imagine that?

I wish.

I first saw the dress on Wednesday afternoon while browsing through the racks in a street stall on Broadway. I immediately loved both the style and the print. “I might just have to get this,” I commented to my co-worker, showing her the dress. “I wonder how much it is.”

With the dress in hand, anticipating a bargain, I approached a nearby vendor. “Excuse me. How much is this?” I asked.

“Oh, it’s $20,” he said, “But it’s not mine. It’s his.” He pointed to another man and then ducked under a divider to return to his own stall.

I admired the dress some more. As a Salvation Army devotee, $20 is at the high end of my spending range. But… the dress was really cute and, I reminded myself, $20 is NOT a lot to pay for a dress. With a cardigan, I’d even be able to wear it to work. Having quickly convinced myself and with encouragement from my colleague (who astutely recognized both the aforementioned cuteness factor and the reasonable price), I walked over to the second man.

“I’d like to buy this,” I said, holding up the dress.

“Ok,” he said. “It’s $29.”

“Oh,” I stammered, “$29? The other man said it was $20.”

“What man?” he asked, and I pointed to the misinforming individual. They exchanged a few brisk words in a language I couldn’t understand.

“No,” he replied, turning back to me, “$29.”

“Is there any chance you could go down on the price?” I asked.

“No,” he repeated firmly, “$29.” Reluctantly, I returned the dress to the rack. I guess it just wasn’t meant to be.

But I kept thinking about the dress. It really was so cute and I could dress it up or dress it down. Very versatile! Also, $29 isn’t  unreasonable. It’s only $9 more than I’d been prepared to spend. That’s just two coffees at Starbucks!

So, on my last day in the city, after two days of internal debate, I realized I still had some spending money in my pocket. (We’ll ignore the entirely unrelated decision to use my credit card for some small purchases.) I decided to splurge and buy myself the dress as a New York City memento. I returned to the vendor, hoping the dress was still there. And luckily, it was! There was no place to try it on, but a S/M should fit. I’d just have to buy it on faith. I pulled it off the rack and happily paid my $29.

The next day, back in Maine, I was eager to try on the dress. After untying the wrap, I realized that the dress was sewn together in the interior–a sort of fake wrap. Hmmm…I guess I must put it on over my head. Diving into the dress, I realized quickly that this wasn’t going to be a smooth operation. I wiggled and contorted, keeping an ear out for any sound of fabric ripping. Finally, after a fair amount of exertion, I got the dress on—and it fit! I untied the wrap and examined the interior waist again–no button…sewn tight. Hmmmm. After another bout of gymnastics, I was able to pull it off over my head. Phew!

The following day was warm and sunny–Perfect inaugural sundress weather! But this time the dress seemed even harder to get on. I guess this is what I get for buying a dress off the streets of New York without trying it on, I thought. I tugged, pulled and wriggled. Who was this dress intended for anyway? Determined, knowing it would fit if I could only get it on, I persevered. It felt like a birth scene! Finally, my shoulders emerged from the tight waist and I could easily pull the dress down, where it settled nicely into place. Once on, there was nothing to indicate my battle.

“Cute!” my daughter commented when I emerged from my room.

“You wouldn’t believe how hard it was to get on,” I exclaimed.

Later that day, my hand brushed across my side. Huh? What was that ridge? My fingers lingered, following a raised line under the fabric. It ran right along the seam, up the side of the dress. What could it be? Oh….Understanding quickly blossomed, along with chagrin. It was… a zipper!  All this time, I’d been battling with the dress and the answer was only a quick, albeit well-concealed, zip away. That night I smoothly pulled the zipper down and easily stepped out of the dress. How many times before, I wondered, have I missed such a simple solution?

New York City fascinates me. There’s such energy there. I’m convinced that even if you took away all the sounds, the city would vibrate or hum. Both times that I’ve attended TC Summer Institutes at Columbia, I have stayed on 77th Street. One of the highlights of my visit is to walk up and back Broadway to 120th every day. I especially love the morning commute. The dog walkers are out in force, and merchants are opening their stores, unloading carts, carefully wrapping bouquets in sleeves, and stacking fruit and vegetables into rainbows of produce. The passing cars hum. Small groups of pigeons and sparrows feast on offerings of bread. Sunlight glints off the top of buildings and dew drops still cling to the blossoms in planters and parks. Although they say NYC is the city that never sleeps, to me, those early morning sights and sounds are the city waking and preparing for the upcoming performance of the day.

New York Symphony

In New York City
day dawns
the quickening air pulses
with vibrations
the deep heavy rumble of delivery trucks
the click clack of carts
crossing sidewalks with a rhythmic
ka-thunk, ka-thunk, ka-thunk
the contented coo of feasting pigeons
a burst of beating wings
as a startled flock takes flight
evading the percussive
thump-thump-thump
of approaching runners
or the staccato clicks of high heels
the punctuating steamy exhale of the buses
a crescendo of trumpeting car horns
a blazing siren
and the steady swish of tires
and humming engines
threaded through with
the cheerful calls
of vendors and passersby
and the sweet strains of bird song
All tuning up
for a day in the city
a New York City symphony

Molly Hogan (c) 2017

Check out this week’s Poetry Friday Roundup at Carol Varsalona’s blog, Beyond Literacy Link. She has a bounty of poetic offerings this week: her Springsations gallery unveiling, a sonnet to read aloud, a poem about fried chicken and an invitation to write about mac ‘n cheese at next week’s Roundup in honor of National Mac and Cheese Day .

I step out of our comfortable New York city hotel, grimacing slightly when my feet hit the pavement after yesterday’s touristy 27,000+ steps. Walking up to Starbucks for my morning Americano, I look up, admiring the light glinting off the tops of the buildings, noticing new stonework details, enjoying the early morning pulse of the city. 

I turn after crossing the street and notice two feet, peeking out from beneath a blue blanket. A man sleeps against a building at the edge of the sidewalk. His two feet are clearly visible…pale and clean…surprisingly clean. Where are his shoes? Does he have shoes? I imagine them clutched to his chest, held safely, though I can’t see beneath his blanket.

Two feet. That’s all I can see. In my mind I frame them, those two feet swaddled in blue, and snap a picture. I think of baby pictures, those sweet shots that zoom in on tiny hands or feet nestled in the folds of a blanket. I wonder who once washed these feet. When did this man’s path go astray? What steps has he taken to arrive in this place? Are there loved ones who worry for him? Who tried their best? Or did their worst?

Two feet. A blue blanket. A New York sidewalk.

And then I walk by him and continue on my way.
How many others will do the same today?

I’ve had a tough time slicing lately. Somehow Tuesday comes along before I know it and once again, I’m floundering. Last night I was determined to have a slice to share today, so I fell back on the tried and true “Currently” structure. Please bear in mind that I wrote this last night. (My morning beverage of choice is a more acceptable orange juice with a splash of cranberry.)

Currently I am…

Wishing… for a nice cool breeze. The temps hit the low 90s today and it’s still sticky. I finally took the flannel sheets off the bed. (I hope I wasn’t too optimistic and that I don’t regret it in a few days!)

Looking at…the flowers blooming in my garden. The first of the rugosa roses have made an appearance and “…the green fists of the peonies are getting ready/ to break my heart…” (Mary Oliver—I recently read her poem Peonies for the first time (Thanks, Tara!) and then read it again…and again…and again…)

Planning… for the final two weeks of school. These may be the longest or the shortest two weeks in the history of the world.

Reading… my e-mail from TC about the June Reading Institute. Is anyone else going?

Writing… comments for report cards and trying not to repeat what I wrote in the last two trimesters. Searching for the perfect phrase…

Watching… the wine level in my glass go down.

Listening… to the evening chorus of the birds and to the far off sound of some motivated (or irate?) neighbor who is chopping or banging something.

Drinking…I’ll give you one guess 🙂 (Hint: see Watching…) I’m pretty convinced there’s some major evaporation going on here as well!

Eating…pretzels. I have a major pretzel problem—not just any old pretzels though. It’s Snyder’s Snaps all the way for me!

Mood…vacillating –so much to do, so much to reflect upon, so much to anticipate, so much to regret, so much to enjoy.  So much!

If you haven’t yet read Elaine Magliero’s book “Things to Do”, I strongly encourage you to do so.  I owe a big shout out to Jama Rattigan for her delightful interview with Elaine Magliero, which inspired me to pick up this enchanting book.  I shared some of the poems with my class, and they were eager to try out this form. So was I! It’s a wonderful entryway into persona or mask poem writing. Ever since reading it, I’ve found myself thinking differently. What might I do if I was…moss? a cat? a house? Thinking this way, I looked at my favorite birch tree in a new light. It now seemed like the perfect subject for a Things to Do poem.

Things to do if you’re a birch tree

Greet the rising sun
Sparkle with dew
Wave au revoir to the morning star
as each day starts anew

Shelter singing birds
Dangle a swing
Spread your skirt of dappled shade
Jewel your core with rings

Stretch your pale limbs wide
and reach up high
Create a crackled quilt of color
in azure summer skies

Sway with the breezes
Rustle your leaves
Cradle the full moon in your branches
on a soft and sultry eve

Molly Hogan (c) 2017

To enjoy more poetry, make sure to visit this week’s Poetry Friday Roundup at Buffy Silverman’s blog, Buffy’s Blog.

Last Friday, after arriving home, I stepped out of the car into yet another dreary, damp evening. This dying dandelion immediately caught my eye. I’m not sure what strange combination of temperature, moisture and atmosphere was at play, but it blazed like a star above the grass. I put everything down and stopped to take a picture. The next morning when I went back to admire it again, all those purple-tipped stellar spikes were lying meekly against the stem. Maybe my cosmic dandelion had gone back to its alter ego stage. Who knew it was capable of this burst of startling beauty?

Early Saturday morning I read Kim Douillard’s weekly challenge, and I knew immediately that Friday night’s dandelion was a starting point. Kim invited readers to find beauty within the seemingly ugly and I was already in that mindset.

Later this weekend, a walk on the beach yielded more unexpected beauty. We arrived late in the afternoon, and the beach was strewn with tide-staggered lines of ocean debris, scenting the air with their pungent sea smell. A closer look at the seemingly ugly, homogenous piles revealed a treasure of texture and a rainbow of colors.

Unusual shapes and objects created multi-hued natural collages. With a vivid splash of color, the polka-dotted kelp air bladder glowed in the afternoon sun as if lit from within. The delicacy of a single white feather contrasted with coarse strands of kelp, the entirety sprinkled with crystalline grains of salt or sand. Each glimpse revealed more variety and beauty. Once started, I could have poked through piles of seaweed for hours.

Back at home in the garden, the skeletal remains of last year’s hydrangea blossoms have a delicate beauty of their own, especially when a petal cups around a drop of water.

After some time working in the garden, I noticed this unexpected visitor. This moth lingered on our window screen for most of a day. I posted its picture on Facebook, asking “Does anyone know what kind of moth this is?” The first response was succinct and, to me, surprising: “ugly.” As other responses came in, most people intimated it was scary or intimidating or in some way unpleasant. I, on the other hand, was fascinated by the scalloped edges of its wings, its curved body, the delicate tracery of lines in its wings and the subtle beauty of its subdued coloring. This was an unexpected twist on Kim’s challenge–something I found beautiful and others did not.

This whole exercise reminded me of the beautiful-eyed skunks in Naomi Shihab Nye’s “A Valentine for Ernest Mann” and the line “Nothing was ugly/just because the world said so.” Kim’s challenge and Nye’s words encourage us to reinvent the world around us by shifting our lens to see the beauty in what at first glance appears ugly or merely unnoteworthy. As Nye writes:

April may be Poetry Month, but I’m so enjoying reading and writing poetry in May with my class.

Here are some comments overheard in my class today as students wrote poems:

“Z. wrote a reverso!”

“Dude, this is soooo good!”

“I’m starting a new poem and I think I’m going to do really good on it.”

“I need 5 minutes more…please!” begged a student urgently as I announced there were about two minutes left. ” This is the end of my free verse poem.”

“I want to work on using better words. I want to make sure my reader sees what I want them to see.”

“Mrs. Hogan, we have to read you this. It’s so sad and so good! It’s a free verse poem.”

His friend and co-author piped up, “It’s two perspectives!”

“Can you think of another word for beach? Beaches are sandy and I’m thinking more of rocks and stuff, not sand….maybe… shore?”

“I have to read you my sky poem.”

The most wonderful thing is that poetry feels accessible to my students, and they are energized by the freedom intrinsic in it. Students are burning to share their work and eager to make changes to improve it. They are making very deliberate choices as they write and considering the impact on their reader. Conversations about craft moves are common and there’s a general air of happy productivity and positive energy in the room. It’s delightful!

Ahhh….The magic of poetry at work!

My husband has wanted to buy a tractor for years and years and years. There’s been a lot of increased discussion about this over the past few months–mostly him elaborating about all the great things he could do with one (and needs to do with one) and me suggesting that renting is always a viable (and reversible) option. Just to clarify (in case you couldn’t tell already), this whole tractor scheme definitely falls under the umbrella of “Not My Idea.” It’s expensive and I’m not sure how much horsepower is safe for my husband to have unlimited access to.  Don’t get me wrong: He can fix or make anything, but there’s often a bit of collateral damage along the way.  Combining tractor power with a love of demolition and an impulsive nature seems like a volatile combo to me. (Here’s hoping he doesn’t read this post. He can be a bit sensitive about this topic.)

Anyway, one day last week while I was at work, he drove to the farm store, plunked down a chunk  of change, signed some papers, and finally bought himself a tractor. Then, much to his dismay, he found out that he had to wait for it to come. The tractor would not be delivered that day and might even take a week or two. Imagine the look on a 7 year old child’s face, bright and early on Christmas morning. Now, imagine if you had to tell him that Christmas was delayed and wouldn’t occur until next week….or maybe the week after.  Yup. That’s about what he looked like. I know this because even though I wasn’t there, he still looked that way hours later when I got home. Poor guy.

Late yesterday afternoon, I drove home through the unceasing rain and turned into our driveway. We have a steep gravel driveway and when I left for work yesterday morning, one area had some ruts and shallow channels that had been carved by recent rainfalls. When I returned yesterday, I immediately noticed that the damaged section of the driveway was looking much worse for the wear.  There were big tire tracks and uneven piles of gravel and grit interspersed with ruts and divits. What happened? I wondered. It looked like some sort of big vehicle had gotten stuck and churned around. Then the light went on.  Oh, wait, I know! I bet they delivered the tractor today and the delivery truck did this. They must have had a hard time with the grade. I looked closer. Wow! That looks really bad. I can’t believe they dug the driveway up that much. I wonder if they’ll repair it. I maneuvered my car carefully around the damaged area and continued up the hill. Then, sure enough, at the top of the driveway I saw the big, orange tractor parked in my yard.

A few minutes later, walking into the house, I called out, “Oh, your tractor came! You must have been so excited.” (I’m trying to be positive about this–remember, Not My Idea.)

“Yeah,” he said, grinning. “They delivered it this afternoon.”

“Wow,” I commented, “That’s great!”  Then I added on, ” They really dug up the driveway when they delivered it, though. It looks awful!”

“Oh, no! That was me,” he replied, smiling happily. “I was trying to smooth out some of the ruts with the tractor just to see what it could do.”

This does not bode well.