The downpour must be waiting for something.
All the spent brush littering the hillside to the right,
mostly brown to the left as well,
railroad tracks not far behind, hidden by the slopes.
“I swear it’s beautiful in the spring.”
Continue reading “By the River”an ekphrastic poem
A hazy sunset
creates shadows out of trees,
ghosts of day-time groves.
Photo by Dương Nhân from Pexels
only
Lonely–the only
leaves left to wonder about
their fate and fortune.
Photo by Dio Alif Utomo from Pexels
through a field
Oh, how the grasses dance,
tickling the legs of those
who pass by on the trail
that scars its way through
the middle of the field.
Oh, how the swallows swoop,
plummeting from up high
and flapping their wings to rise again
into the azure sky
decorated with cottony clouds.
Oh, how the insects hum,
filling the air with their sounds
that hang, just as thick as the humidity,
and allow all to know of their presence
right there, right here, right now.
Photo by Artur Roman from Pexels
We’ve nothing to do
Come, my darling,
let’s settle here
beneath the tree.
We’ve nothing to do,
nothing to say,
so let us just lie, silently
watching cracks in the sky.
We’ll nervously run
our fingers through the clover
unable to voice what is wrong,
though our perfect illusion is over.
So come, my darling,
let’s settle beneath this tree,
and never ask the question,
Where do we go
from here?
Photo by Negative Space from Pexels
Today’s resource for education and empathy is the Instagram account Intersectional Environmentalist. They have some pretty and funky graphics with a great educational message. The current environmental problems we face undeniably affect marginalized communities throughout the world much more profoundly than non-marginalized ones. Environmental solutions must take these discrepancies into account. Intersectional Environmentalist also has a website that showcases resources for and from various communities with more to come!
And speaking of Instagram, I don’t advertise it much, and it’s still a work-in-progress, but I do have an Instagram account for this blog. You can follow me here to see several of the poems from this blog and other Instagram-exclusive content.
Music, Selah, they went on, Selah, Selah
With lyrical psalms like Proverbs, Solomon
Had chosen the path he sang of Selah
Too many songs to cherish the solemnity
The following is my first collaborative poem that I wrote with Ismael Mansoor from This Engrained Heart! Ismael’s contributions are in italics and mine are not.
I provided the prompt, and Ismael started the writing. After that, we went back and forth with adding pieces to it until we finished. I think that the final product of this poem is very much a mixture of our two different writing styles, and I’m excited to share it with all of you!
Selah
Music, Selah, they went on, Selah, Selah
With lyrical psalms like Proverbs, Solomon
Had chosen the path he sang of Selah
Too many songs to cherish the solemnity
Like him, we sing, “Praise, praise!”
For we have been bequeathed with
the grass, the dirt, the trees,
with the rain that provides life and renewal
to all.
Does not every songbird whistle a tune,
rejoicing for the gift of this land?
So, too, shall we. Selah
Honour thy garden that dwells with thy prayer
Foundation shall water, and recircle of it
Pray, praise to the faith that dwells in ye
Listen to the songbirds and feel the vibrations
Blessèd are those who sit quietly in the moss
and breathe in the scent of the forest.
Blessèd are those who can only take
a moment to witness the verdant splendor
through panes of glass.
And blessèd are those who live in jungles
of concrete and smog.
The pleas for a future
with equitable access to
flora and fauna and fresh air
shall not be ignored or forgotten. Selah
Selah in the Psalm, oh, they said, who is she
King Solomon, the wise one who was David’s son
Called a name, Selah, oh, they said, who is she
Even the wise Solomon was with the Saviour
Such a word to pronounce such wisdom, but they said who is she
Selah, a musical figure, probably
Selah, her merry songs that danced Solomon’s weddings
Words to rejoice, oh, Selah, but they said who is she
Alight! Selah is in music. Praise, and rejoice
Sheer the will to smile with songs
Selah, perhaps, personification to melodize
Gentle to the ears and the feelings
Selah of hope and Selah of praise
Selah of wonder and pleading
Lifting up exultation
toward the bounteous heavens
in awe of creation,
all hearts shall proclaim
Selah, her melodious name.
Blessings be upon all the living souls
Oh, blessings be upon those who bless themselves
And who bless others
Selah, in the heavenly place in the soul
Photo by Simon Leonardo from Pexels
I loved this opportunity to collaborate with Ismael on this poem! If you’re interested in creating a collaborative poem with me, reach out through my contact page.
Today’s resource for love and understanding is this video featuring Leah Thomas talking about the relationship between Black Lives Matter and environmental justice. Leah, a black woman who works in intersectional environmentalism, also runs a blog called Green Girl Leah and an Instagram page by the same name.
I want
The Yellow Brick Ave 