poetry prompts

as part of waterstone gallery's interactive series of art and writing, my friend anne facilitated a session this morning that i was privileged to attend.  the theme was looking at beauty from loss and she read poems to start with and then gave us prompts to choose from as we wrote for 10 minutes.  for more information about anne and her workshops, please see nurture your journey.

the poem anne read for this one was "the pond" by mary oliver and the prompt i chose was a line, "i will sing..." my verses are about the beauty of lilacs and how every year they remind me of a dear friend.

the burning bush

i will sing of lilacs
their frilled throats
fringed with may
and sweet-bee promise

i will trill of friendship
that carries beyond death
for love is stronger,
always stronger

and of how they blossomed
either in her yard or mine
despite any number of moves
(this too is miracle)

with more than enough to share, bundled
as if God were speaking
through a bush on fire with
lavender flames for twenty years

that is how i would sing
even now they startle me
pricking at my eye corners
as i notice my heart has filled in

like the heart-shaped foilage of time
upon her leaving...

ls 4.30.17