I am participating in The Two Writing Teachers' Slice of Life Story Challenge, writing every day during the month of March. My theme this year is "Outdoors".
Eschewing the crunchy gravel of the hike-and-bike, I
Choose the sidewalk instead, my sneakered feet softly padding
A straight path, then following the curve of a cul-de-sac
Where the wind pushes against me, gusting and
Sweeping winter's detritus away, brown leaves
Skittering across the pavement.
A little free library stands bravely against the breeze
I should stop and check the contents, but my life
Is already full of books
Barren trees tease me; are they dead, or just
Biding their time, waiting for the wind to tidy up
Before decorating our skies with green once more
Neighbors still have their Christmas lights up
I don't fault them one bit
We all need more light in our lives
And more prayer
As St Francis attends to a bird
I'm sure he's happy spring is on its way
Rounding a corner, and there is the garage
Boldly painted in avian blue
Decades-old art gracing the street
The swell of the sidewalk over a toddler-sized hill
There will be bikes, and skateboards
Enjoying the small thrill soon, I imagine
A fairy-sized log cabin of a mailbox
Proudly waves the flag
Against the light blue sky
This giant rock grabs my attention when I pass
I always wonder about the ribbon of stone
Running through the middle...but never stop to investigate
Almost home, and there is the bush
That once was a mighty oak, felled by ice
Chopped to pieces, and moved to the back patio
Lovely!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jodi!
DeleteThis whole post is so poetically written. That first paragraph was gorgeous! Great word choice to bring about the imagery. I can just hear the brown leaves skittering.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Deb. Quite a bit of the poem came to me while I was walking; I had to repeat the words to myself to keep from forgetting them before returning home!
DeleteWhat fun to be taken along on your walk. I love the wordplay in the first paragraph--all the alliteration and vivid word choices--and then was delighted to find that you were bringing readers along to see all the important sights along your walk. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I am glad you enjoyed the walk with me. It was fun coming up with the right words to describe the scenes.
DeleteChris, I feel like I need to go line by line to comment on how much joy each one brings me. The magnificent use of "detritus," needing more light in our lives, St. Francis being happy spring is on the way, and the reappearance/mention of the lizard - all so beautifully knit together! I feel reinvigorated! I may need to read it again in a few hours when I get up for work, ha.
ReplyDelete