Smelling the Flowers
Poetry
Poems and other songs in the night by Holly Rabbitat
"I read poetry to save time."
Marilyn Monroe, actress
Morning On the Mountain
On the Cabin Porch, Early Morning
Here's a poem I wrote recently while staying at our cabin in the north Georgia mountains.
The mornings there often inspire me to write.
Morning At the Cabin
Morning On the Mountain
Early this morning
in my coffee-warmed cabin
I saw day unfold
like the genesis of a new world.
Shafts of sunlight poured silently
through the mountain pines
like warm honey
onto the spindly sassafrass trees
with their mitten-shaped hands.
Leaves from the wild oak trees
fluttered like paper wings,
golden and coppered
by the sun.
On the forest floor
below a delicate mist,
wild blueberry sprouts glistened with dew
and trembled
at the first breath of day.
Suddenly a song.
Clear as a glass flute,
the woodthrush,
mysterious and alone
in the high dome of the sky,
pierced the cool air,
his voice like a silver river
through the tree tops,
the echo of it clinging to the mountainside.
Thin and ribboned was his melody
as he wrapped the morning
in a solitary prayer
to the God of the aeons.
I still can remember his voice,
still see the mist, the sun.
I remember the dappled trees,
the honey golds all around,
and the easy hello of that gentle day.
Holly Rabbitat (c) 2022
Circus Peanuts
Fat little fingers
of peanut plump,
orange-or-is-it-yellow;
the color of a melon...
no, a winter hat... no,
the sign above the circus man's head
that said, "Welcome to the Big Top."
Drop them in a paper bag
and tie them to your pocket loop.
Peddle fast.
Slam the screened door
and count the peanuts--
orangeorisityellow--
on your bed 1-2-3 . . .
. . .6-7-8.
Two for Monday,
three for Tuesday,
and four in the hand
for this sweet summer's day.
Holly Rabbitat (c) 2022
Eating Blueberries
Rabbit-Eye Blueberries
Gimme some of those roll-y, little
poll-y, little blue and purple berry dots,
those sweet and happy round-abouts;
toss-'em-in-a water-pot quick
before they run amok,
those squirmin' little golly-what's,
those noble little merry bots.
Put 'em in a berry bowl
and don't forget to eat a lot, hurry
'cause they'll roll, you know,
those jolly little holy-o's.
Holly Rabbitat 2021
Simple Days
Green beans and sunbeams.
Herbs in a pot.
All things humble
in my little garden plot.
Holly Rabbitat 2020
Watering Can on Fence Post
I Saw the Rabbit Today
I saw the rabbit today
just outside his warren door.
It was near to night
but light enough
to catch him spying me
through one eye, clear
and wide open.
We didn't move,
neither he nor me,
until one of us blinked--
I've forgotten who.
I watched him leap, timid-shy,
into the bramble-weed
behind the tall pines
where he flicked his white tail
and tipped his tall hat
quick as a snap--imagine that.
Holly Rabbitt 2022
Gideon By the Fence
On the Porch
Lunch was over.
The dishes were washed
and the countertops clean.
Dogs napping.
I gathered my book
and made my way
down the brick walkway
to the shade
of the screened porch.
A breeze had returned after a week
of hot, still air,
replaced by the scent of wood smoke
from someone's crackling mid-day fire.
I sat still as an owl
in the rocking chair
watching the trees rustle
in the wind.
I listened. I smiled.
It was then I realized,
"This is real.
The whole quilted covering of life
lies all around me,
and everything I do
is designed
to bring me here."
Holly Rabbitat (c) 2022
On the Porch
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Latest comments
I like those blueberries photos... almost look architectural to me.
And now I'm wanting okra. I tried the premade frozen kind a couple o times before but it wasn't worth the bag it was packaged in...
Congratulations HeadRabbit, on getting your website back up and running again! You've done your magic again and it all looks great.
Love your site!
cat names...russell participated...arches, boo, Autumn, Shadow, willow, thistle