Welcome to a weekly writing prompt. The steps are easy, if you choose to try them. Listen to your muse. Write a small poem in the comments. Leave encouraging responses to other writers. This is a safe and sacred place to write. Begin.
I took these photos in my backyard on Bayou Teche in Louisiana. These are wild flowers known as butterweed that grow before my yard man (husband) has a chance to mow. Sometimes he will mow around them because he knows I love them. They offer a bright spot in a winter yard of bare cypress trees and brown lawn. Here’s a bit of research I found.
Weary of its winter bed
Margaret Simon, draft *Goddess of dawn
bursts of yellow whisper
secrets of Eos.*
Thanks for taking me away with these refreshing butterweed flowers Margaret! I like the mystery in your haiku–and I wonder what she’s whispering… Hope they linger for a while, they’re beautiful!
butterweed sun-stars
butterweed–
winter’s golden sun-star
sits by buddha’s knee
I love the idea of that “sun-star” (brilliant!) sitting by buddha’s knee. You used each word and syllable to great effect here, Michelle.
That idea of knee caught me too. What a bright yellow…sun-star, yes!
Yes to sun-star!
Oh, yes to sun-star! Perfect description.
Michelle, I love this! I agree with everyone. Perfect!
Your photos seem like a world away as I gaze at our snow-covered scenery! Both of them are lovely. I know if I ever make it down that way that I’ll be mesmerized by cypress knees! I like the whispering of your flowers and the mood that evokes in your poem.
Here’s my poem:
Outside the window
spring dawns with jaunty blossoms
her spirits rise
He mows around each cluster
a gesture sweet as a kiss
awwwwww, a love poem. Very sweet.
Thanks for that sweet love poem, Molly. I also love images of snow, a different kind of peaceful.
Molly – we got our first snow of the season so we are far from seeing jaunty blooms too! What a sweet love poem.
Molly, your poem is sweet! I like your imagery, consonance, and internal rhyme of cluster and gesture.
Those flowers do know things. I can tell. And, you’ve told us they have secrets. As another northerner unfamiliar with cypress knees—the relationship between the weed and the cypress intrigued me.
Pretty, pretty
Butterweed
ringing round
Grandma’s
cypress knees
her old stories
long and sweet
how many
nods
before sleep?
One
two
Three
Four….
I love the nursery rhyme-ness of this little ditty.
I agree with Margaret. It does have the nursery rhyme feel about it. It also made me want to grab a jump rope! 🙂
This is such fun, Linda. I love the lighthearted breezy rhyme of it all. Like Leigh Anne, I want to grab a jump rope!
Love your rhyme, rhythm, and Grandma cypress telling stories!
Margaret – I love these yellow blooms! Although we got our first measurable snowfall yesterday, I am winter weary!
This picture reminds me of storytelling, all circled around to hear the legends. Played around with a nonet…but a backwards one!
my
golden
explosion,
burst of sunshine
a southern welcome
you’ve brought along your friends
circle ’round the cypress knee
please have a seat, sit a spell and
hear the legends of the old bayou
Leigh Anne, I love this idea of circling round to hear the stories!
Leigh Anne, I love your invitation of “sit a spell and
hear the legends of the old bayou.”
Leigh Anne,
For being a northerner you write as though you are right here in my backyard listening to Cajun music and stories of the old bayou.
You bring the bayou to life for this ole midwestern gal! I love your corner of the world! Well…maybe not the humidity!
Margaret, I love wild flowers and I have many in my gardens. My husband mows around them growing in the lawn, also. Your poem says so much in a short amount of words. You have many poetry elements in it, too. I love the concept of the butterweed whispering secrets of the sun goddess. Thank you for sharing your post, photos, and poem of brightness, which are a respite from a negative eight degree night. Here’s my draft:
Buttterweed’s Party
awake from winter’s nap
donned my yellow skirt
honeybees dance and tap
I like honeybees better than mosquitoes. When I researched butterweed, it’s a food for mosquitoes, which means we should probably mow them down. We don’t need more mosquitoes!
I also like your metaphor of yellow skirt dancing. I miss dancing.
[…] week, Margaret Simon of Reflections on the Teche, shares a photo prompt and invites others to write a short poetic response. This week she shared […]