A few days ago, snow dusted the southern landscape. Winter’s last blast showed up in a flurry of images on social media. Memory took me back to my time in Iowa. Yards seemed snowbound from November to March. I once stepped outside for a midnight sojourn in a still garden—and walked away with a poem.
Category: Nature
Hope Peeps Eternal Thanks to the Persistent Crocus
“Where flowers bloom so does hope.” This quote by Lady Bird Johnson, who championed environmental conservation and wildflower beautification, always stuck with me. Crocuses pushing up from the snow (or bare ground) promises renewal. The spring equinox is almost upon us. The poem “Fauve Crocuses” marks the coming season.
After a Long Winter, Finding the Good: “Dwarf Iris Blessing”
I remember a garden in North Carolina where a field of dwarf irises announced the turn of the season. Low to the ground, they bear a humble sovereignty—worthy of regard, as are all living things. This memory inspired the poem “Dwarf Iris Blessing.”
Why I Love Appalachia: “Blue Ridge Weather Report”
In this glorious, but all-too-brief season in Appalachia, killing frost silences the nights except for the rustle of branches. Color steals across the trees, and leaves begin to drop. I wrote this poem after relocating to the South and falling in love (again) with autumn in the Blue Ridge.
Time Falls Back: The Loss of Afternoon Gold
Autumn is my favorite season with its changing colors and nip in the air. But there’s always a tradeoff. When the clock falls back, we lose the golden hour at day’s end—the price for getting an extra hour of sleep.