Friday, September 16, 2022

Walking & Wondering

Big Rock at Mossy Point
Photo by Amy LV



Students - This week, my husband and I took a walk at Mossy Point, a new nature preserve only 10 minutes from our home. We saw so many trees and plants and an enormous variety of mushrooms that I am excited to look up and learn more about. At one point on the walk, I noticed the sunlight falling right on this one big rock. It looked like it was spotlit on the glorious forest stage, and right away I knew that I would write about it.

I often wish that animals and objects could talk, and so too with this mossy-faced boulder. The stories it could tell! Today's poem explores my questions.

Today's poem is a list poem with the first and last stanzas repeating themselves in ways and the middle stanza serving as the big list of questions. List poems are fun to write, and they do not need to rhyme. I played around with a lot of different words and possibilities to make this one rhyme.

Have you ever wished that something quiet could speak to you? If so, you might wish to explore all of your questions or even just one of them. You might write in your voice, in the voice of the non-talking animal or object, or in both voices (perhaps in two stanzas). 

Truthfully, I probably would be rather annoyed if every rock and tree talked the whole time I walked through a wood. What I love is the silence. But still, I do have questions.

Zoomed Out Big Rock at Mossy Point
Photo by Amy LV

Kat is hosting the Poetry Friday roundup at Kathryn Apel with all kinds of poetic goodness. Please know that all are welcome each Friday as folks share poems, poem books, poetry ideas, and friendship.

May you have a magnificent week of wondering, about all sorts of things!

xo,
Amy

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12 comments:

  1. Amy, I love this rock poem. It's just beautiful! That mushroom line... and holding shadows of trees. Great capture of wander-pondering.

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  2. Wonderful poem, esp. love the tickling chipmunk feet. :) ~ Jama R.

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  3. The poem is so delightful to read, Amy. The rock is huge and I have never seen one like that so it seems so unique. It needed you to stop, stare, and write about it.

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  4. Amy, have you seen the documentary Fantastic Fungi? On Netflix. Beautiful time-lapse video! Such wonder in your poem! And hee hee, I definitely appreciate the speech patterns of trees: so-quiet-and-so-slow-it-takes-years! xo

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  5. Love your questions, Amy! I wonder too about chipmunk feet, and I can just imagine that rock singing in the snow. Thanks so much for sharing your wondering.

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  6. And I do love your questions, Amy! This is wonderful!

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  7. Delightful. The rhythm of this poem is fantastic!

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  8. This is why I love mountains, rocks, trees, and oceans. They are such generous vessels for our wonderings.

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  9. This poem begs to be read aloud to kids...and used as a mentor text!

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  10. "To hold shadows of trees" - beautiful. Thanks for sharing this poetic treasure with oomph!

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  11. I love rock poems. It looks like a beautiful place to be.

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  12. Oh, but I think the rocks and the trees and the streams do talk; we have yet to fully attune our ears to their language. But I'm certain they can hear us and are smiling about your poem!

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