What I would give
to walk with you
through flowerbeds
and grass patches
into riverbeds
lined with stones
on great rocks
and canyons
within deep forests
sounding with bird songs
what I would give
is everything
What I would give
to walk with you
through flowerbeds
and grass patches
into riverbeds
lined with stones
on great rocks
and canyons
within deep forests
sounding with bird songs
what I would give
is everything
As the days go on, I can see
Carpenter bees and painted ladies
Fly from one pale blossom to the next
As a chorus of frogs sound in the
Marshes I’m just now beginning to
Wander through
Seeking those new paths from
Picking a direction and wondering
How far I can go with a friend or two
Tulip sunsets blooming from patchwork city soil
And curated reminders of maize and blue
And I’ll go through graveyards and theatres, cafes and Kerrytown
One more arboretum trail, one more crafted carnival, one more night
Walking the same loop, tracking constellations in those
Spaces between lamps, singing together after the stage lights go dark,
Rolling dice and trying out new names
Enjoying that welcome that was always there
With the ones who gave it
Trying to take it in as the clouds start to clear
And it will hurt to miss it all
But that means there’s something worth missing
And I’m glad I get to celebrate it in the sun
Because I know both will be back soon enough
I Bet Your Parents Made Love in a Bed of bright marigolds and cosmos. That would explain your innate stubbornness, like when you sprouted in May, too eager to grant your mother the sweet poison of a lily of the valley, which is motherhood. Although it’s not as beautiful as the red tulip she raised, I hope she likes the hydrangeas I gave. I’ve been wanting to gift more. While their brilliant red still doesn’t compare to the adorable pink blooming on you, Look, the carnations we planted have beautifully bloomed. I’m determined to grow peonies with you, too. I’ve already decided that when I lie in my deathbed, nobody shall give me white lilies. Instead, they’ll give me poppies, for the wound you left when you left me: Its medicine will grant me peace in death, just like the peace your lavender gave me. - Sappy
In the Rain
an embrace
of exhilaration
as we run
the wind toys with my hair
and the thunder quakes my bones
rocking my head to sleep
I am smiling and heavy
happy and whole
in the thick of it
knowing the sun will come again
but it is good here
so let’s stay for awhile
I follow the path of quills and daffodils
Blue ground-facing stars and yellow suns
A spring soil night as the sky above
Turns dim, a growing grey
But a welcome one in place of
The gloom that has begun to break
And as I walk I see dozens of others
All with their glasses that turn the sun
Into a campfire crescent moon
Celebrating on every patch of grass
In the front lawns where
A cracked, plastic skeleton rests in a pile
I end up at the cemetery, fellow sky-gazers
Sitting amongst the headstones as
The trees begin to bud, robins rushing between them
Starry blue flowers sprouting beneath
As moss creeps across the polished names
And lichen-loved stones
Like faces and upturned mushrooms caps
And just in time I find a place
Where the branches part
Where I feel welcomed to sit beside the graves
Where the sounds of my eyelashes
Against the dark film that guards them
Sounds like rustling in the pinecones and dry leaves
And the chirp of birds reaches its crescendo
As that waning crescent almost gives way
Before waxing yet again
And I spend a few more moments
Planted in the grass
Before making my way out of the cemetery
I pick a direction, and on I go
Because as the sky brightens
There’s so many
White-winged moths, wolf spiders, cranes, colonies of ants
To spot along the path
And I hope to see them all
Before this day ends
This poem was selected for PoetTreeTown2023
I know I’m indecisive, but I think I know how I feel. I feel just a little confused, but I know how I feel, I think. I think I feel too much, I know. This is just how I am. I am, I believe, how I like. I feel like I think I know I am how I like, I believe. - Sappy