The rain clears the haze

Experiments in climate hope, practising poetic techniques.

1. Soundscaping
2. Tree Stump
3. Limericks: assorted
4. Public Park
5. There's Still Love
6. Spider's Art
7. Overnight

0.

Haze sticks, new film new skin
soon more sun, dead heat, rage
but for now the rain still falls
the silhouettes of trees become
so clear and green and plenty.

1. Soundscaping

The sound system left the building
and butterflies returned floating
the hall public not intrusive
the girls loud but never hostile

in dusk quiet now the dancing
was feet moving not exploding
and birdsong up high expanded
a sphere, calls and chatters cheering

the stars bright despite the streetlights
the forest here despite the road signs.

Challenges: Use the same stress pattern throughout, theme: destruction

2. Tree Stump

The tree stump in the grass
so bumpy and ridged
still shouts green this morning
two thin sprouts with spiky leaves
peering over a split balcony
near and far their cousins the grass.

If we cut that tree in May
life rebuts in June
the moss runs up the hollow
the loss though not recovered
is remembered moving.

In September we will not weed
for the felling of the trunk
for the dwelling of the stump.

Challenges: Internal rhyme, theme: rebuilding, inspired by a tree stump I saw in a park

3. Limericks: assorted

There once was an angry old baron
who bought up the land without sharin'
he spent all his money
on weeding and honey
and when the spring came all was barren.

~

There was an old baker who tried
to save the burnt pastries he fried:
he put them away
for another day
and when the ants showed up, he cried.

~

There once was a squirrel who leapt
from the trees to the pansies we kept
he helped us to tailor
our words for the mayor
a song for the numb and inept.

Challenges: limericks, humans, connection - a little bit less on the hopeful side, these ones, but I feel that was hard to pull off with a limerick!

4. Public Park

The birds were gone
and back again, the little round heads
gone over the hedge
and back again.
The bees were gone
and back again, the bronze bodies
deep in the flowers
then back again.
The flowers were gone
and back again, little white sprays
once sliced through
but back again.
The children were gone
and back again, now grown
waiting for the birds
to be back again.
The quick brown wings
zip over the hedge
and back again.

Challenges: Parallelism, connection, hedge with 'weeds'

5. There's Still Love

The first hazeless sky a clear dragonfly
pries apart dry leaves in a withering hedge
arrives in my garden and won't be denied
I can't believe I still have love to give

The neighbour's blooming trees are brave in the day
a buoyant blue blossom bounces through wire
and brushes my side as I'm walking by
I can't believe I still have love to give

Soft susurrations seep through the city
a sly slinking stray with her half-lidded eyes
slips past my fingers and into my arms
I can't believe I still have love to give.

Challenges: 'I still have love to give', assonance, stray cats, flowers and fairy wings

6. Spider's Art

The hibiscus bush was green and red
with some leaves brown and nearly dead
but that did not deter
the spider's thoughtful head.

The spinning spider made its silk
the start was thick as heavy milk
the ends became translucent
the mark of this one's ilk.

And now the art the spider weaves
is left between the hanging leaves
I saw it in the light
the glow of dew it now receives.


Challenges: end rhyme, spiders spinning their webs, flowers and fairy wings (still didn't get to the fairy wings in this one)

7. Overnight

At night they put out the fairy lights
strung throughout the park as everyone
goes home for bed. A grey silence.

Then wind rolls in,
dark clouds rippling over the moon,
then a thunderclap
to a rumbling song
and overnight showers.

The first light
the droplets on the wires:
false dew. But the morning sky
now ocean blue creates cloud lakes
and isles of white.

Challenges: Internal rhyme (though I only used it once), theme: rebuilding