Join the Two Writing Teachers blog for Tuesdays Slice of Life Challenge.
Summer Sounds
Someone’s cutting grass.
The scent of it travels
on the afternoon wind
carrying a hint of coming rain.Cicada sounds
rhythmically rise.
Beat of an outboard motor
bayou riding.In the distance,
children squeal,
a baseball bat
tings the ball.
Cheers!Mr. Mockingbird
tries on different personalities,
a long trill
of tweet-a-tweet tweet.
Then short staccato notes.Take time to listen
to summer’s sound.
Slow down.
Sit around.
Sip some tea,
and just be.–Margaret Simon
June Photo-a-day challenge from Kim Douillard at Thinking through my Lens. #sdawpphotovoices
Day 1: Awkward
I met this squirrel at a neighbor’s house. He was just sitting on the chair eating corn. When I went to take his picture, he turned as if to say, “What cha’ doin?”
Awkward squirrel
Day 2: Beach
I don’t live near a beach. But the bayou is in my backyard, so I switched the B word to bayou.
Enjoying the bright red mandevilla blooms.
Summer brings more boat traffic to the bayou.
I could hear ‘ a baseball bat tings the ball’, such a great description. Looks like you have a great backyard Margaret. Are there crocodiles in the water? Is a bayou like a river? Great poem. 🙂
A bayou is like a river. We have no crocodiles in Louisiana. We do have alligators but I’ve never seen one in my backyard. Thank goodness!
I had the joy of once again hearing mockingbirds when we were in the Chesapeake Bay area-long ago memory from Missouri! They are so beautiful. Love your gathering of the sounds here, Margaret.
Your poem makes me long for those soon to come relaxed days. The smell of cut grass is a favorite. Tea? I can’t wait to join in. And the bayou in your backyard! Wow! That’s a fine replacement for the beach!
But for you, there will be beignets and cafe ole’!
Beautiful blooms! Your summer poem is so evocative – summer is still three weeks away for me!
Love your poem, Margaret–the sounds of that mockingbird comes right through. It’s a wonderful collection of images that lead to an important reminder. Thanks also for sharing the pictures of your back yard. It’s fun to picture you.
Love your poem, Margaret! Fits in perfectly with my frame of mind as I prepare to slow down this summer and just…. be.
Beautiful poem and blooms, Margaret.
Sounds of Summer has a beautiful feel to it, Margaret. We are supposed to getting the cicadas but have not heard them yet=>Cicada sounds
rhythmically rise. Your line reminded me of that. Please save this poem for my summer gallery (of course, I need to design Spring’s Seeds first). Your mandevilla vine is gorgeous.I am hoping that mine blossoms.