Two poems accepted by "Think Journal" !

Girl on a Swing by Winslow Homer. Artwork is in the public domain.

I'm thrilled to hear two poems, "Silverweed" and "Resonance" have been accepted by Think Journal for the Fall 2014 issue.

"Silverweed" is one of seven poems in my long poem, "Days of Grass". It's composed of three het-met sestets rhymed ababab, cdcdcd, efefef.

"Resonance" is a Shakespearean sonnet about a girl on a swing.

Both are autobiographical.

A beautiful poem by one of my favorite poets, Edna St. Vincent Millay. I'll be posting more of Millay's poems in the coming weeks.

Falconry Book of Frederick II 1240's. Public Domain.

On Thought in Harness

 
My falcon to my wrist
Returns
From no high air.
I sent her toward the sun that burns
Above the mist;
But she has not been there. 

Her talons are not cold; her beak
Is closed upon no wonder;
Her head stinks of its hood, her feathers reek
Of me, that quake at the thunder. 

Degraded bird, I give you back your eyes forever, ascend now whither you are tossed;
Forsake this wrist, forsake this rhyme;
Soar, eat ether, see what has never been seen; depart, be lost,
But climb.

Sad Anniversary

Bernice Chandler (expecting Alison) and (l. to r.) Cathy, Bobbie and Debby

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Today, July 10, 2014, marks the third anniversary of my mother's death. It is also her birthday. She would have turned 84 today.

One of the saddest things one has to do when a loved one dies is gather up their earthly belongings.

Below is a short but poignant poem by Judith Kroll, "Your Clothes", that expresses the heartache of what Emily Dickinson called "the solmnest of industries".

Your Clothes

 

Of course they are empty shells, without hope of animation.

Of course they are artifacts.

Even if my sister and I should wear some,

or if we give others away,

they will always be your clothes without you,

as we will always be your daughters without you.

By Judith Kroll, Source: Poetry (March 2000).

Rest in peace, Mommy.

Love, Cathy