At dawn…
cock crows
plucked from soft nests
hens’ creamy eggs
devoured thoughtlessly
sunflowers stir
lifted heads
swivel and rise
describing the journey
old man rasps
pulling smoke
into clogged lungs
dying breathlessly
I walk
immersed in Gaia
daily balm
deflecting grief
After sunset…
the grass sighs
katydid’s hatchlings
hang on blades
awaiting deliverance
dew settles
on worn steps
and broken doll
assuaging loneliness
child yawns
unguarded breath
circle of joy and sorrow
accepting sleep
I lie down
bent body supine
firefly thoughts
acknowledging the dark
—
Janice F. Booth is a writer and educator. Her long-running garden column appears monthly. She authored Crofton: Images of America. Jan’s poetry is included in three anthologies; Still Singing: Six Women Poets, The Song In the Room: Six Women Poets, The Antioch Poetry Retreat: a Gathering of Poets, The Road Beneath Our Feet and periodicals, including S/He Speaks, photospecchio, Pendemic Journal, Silk Road Blog, HungerX, and the ESWA Bay to Ocean Journal (2023 & 2024).
