Life beckons on all sides ―
gecko sleeping on a stone.
Stillness only will abide.
Squirrel gathers nuts to hide
facing winter’s winds alone.
Life beckons on all sides.
Goldfinch flees as hawk swoops wide.
Marsh hawk reels ― talons, feathers, broken bones.
Stillness only will abide.
Jellyfish float in on the tides,
rainbow pigmented sea foam.
Life beckons on all sides.
The fifth dimension is our guide,
curves on itself, a tightening cone.
Stillness only will abide.
Grab a stool; fill your cup.
There’s much to gain by looking up.
Life beckons on all sides.
Stillness only will abide.
—
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).
