Nature.
Our word for today.
Every single day I live here, I am filled with gratitude that I got to retire in such a beautiful place. For the previous eight years, I lived in an urban center and “nature” was harder to find and enjoy on a daily basis. I wrote about it last summer. But this summer, I have many opportunities for a “balm for my soul” (as Charles Waters called it on today’s DFABW page). Here is a snippet of my bike ride this morning:
View this post on Instagram
Nature from My Bike
a bevy of quail runs across the trail
a hawk swoops for breakfast to stalk
mourning doves rise with their loves
hummingbirds dart–just a blur
a blue jay seems to call “make way”
a jack rabbit races as is its habit
Joshua trees tower around me
I applaud and thank you, God.
During each day in the months of August and September, I am responding to a different word from Dictionary for a Better World: Poems, Quotes, and Anecdotes from A to Z by Irene Latham and Charles Waters, illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini. Today’s word is Nature. A small group of people wanting to make the world a better place are reading and responding together. Join us! Visit Common Threads: Patchwork Prose and Verse by Kim Haynes Johnson for more information. Here is the word list I’ll be following for August and September.
Denise, your poem brings me right to your moments of the spirituality in the outdoors, so Mary Oliveresque, wishing I were there to ride bikes with you and to see those Joshua trees. Those experiences of seeing the wildlife and the landscapes are absolutely a blessing – to be able to enjoy nature and thank our Creator in applause is a gift. I can’t wait to see your video when I get to work (here in the country the WiFi won’t stream, so I will happily have a second reading of your blog today). Thanks so much for sharing on your blog and on the Padlet!