Tricia over at The Miss Rumphius Effect issued a challenge via her Monday Poetry Stretch to write about something that inspires us. Since inspiration is such a large thing, I decided to go small with my sources for it. Here's a poem about a small thing that inspired me:
JUNCO
Just a little junco in the apple tree
this morning was enough to make me fiddle
with my plans, make me wait & see
(just a little)
what the day would bring. I put the kettle
on, rethought my errands, made a cup of tea,
settled in by the window. The junco's whistle
(just the hint of one, no bigger than the middle
letter of September) – his busy ee-ee-ee—
was Greek to me. But I love an autumn riddle
(especially if it's little.)
this morning was enough to make me fiddle
with my plans, make me wait & see
(just a little)
what the day would bring. I put the kettle
on, rethought my errands, made a cup of tea,
settled in by the window. The junco's whistle
(just the hint of one, no bigger than the middle
letter of September) – his busy ee-ee-ee—
was Greek to me. But I love an autumn riddle
(especially if it's little.)
The Poetry Friday round-up this week is over at Jama Ratigan's delicious blog, Alphabet Soup. Click over there to see what other people are posting! (mmmm.....alphabet soup......that's a small little inspirational thing, too.....)
Here are more photos of small things that inspire me:
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| Alphabet soup....either "Toot Toot" or "Otto Otto" |
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| Netsuke Nest |
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| Dragonfly |
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| Jujubes for You and Me's |
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| The Latest and Youngest Fan of Imaginary Menagerie - Sweet Zia! |
Lovely post! You're right - inspiration is found in small things.
ReplyDeleteWonderful poem, Julie. Will look for "just a little" in my life today. Love all the photos, too, especially the "toot" soup! :)
ReplyDeleteit finally got so cold (single digits) that the morning birds around here (the jays in particular) have stopped waking us up at 4 AM. but i only realized it after reading your poem. it makes me a little sad to think i hadn't noticed, but only a little because the jays are obnoxious.
ReplyDeletethanks for reminding to pay closer attention to the littler things.
and what's with everyone and jujubes today?
Nice, Julie. I especially like the middle stanza, the rethinking, the cup of tea. Good job with that challenge.
ReplyDeleteI know, David - I saw the other jujubes and thought, "Whoa!"
ReplyDeleteJUJUBES rule!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wonderful poem and photos! I love Juncos myself, and would be right there with you & the tea.
ReplyDeleteI love the use of the parentheticals--little things, parentheticals, but so much happens in the pauses they make. Lucky you, to have a littlest fan like Zia. Some of the newness of the world sneaks through when I spend time with people like her.
ReplyDeleteAh, jujubes..thoughts of the Saturday matinee in a time when it cost a quarter to go to the movies. Thanks for the memory.
ReplyDeleteJust another week and a half of school and then I'll be able to sit by the window with a cup of tea and wonder about the juncoes. (and the wrens, the woodpeckers, the cardinals...)
ReplyDeleteJulia,
ReplyDeleteAnd who, pray tell, is Sweet Zia? She's a cutie!
What a great poem that prompt spawned for you! I love all the internal rhymes...middle, little, fiddle...etc. Juncos are wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI like the title of this post. Birds are my favorite animals, and I even have the two boys on my website story playing a card game called "Our Favorite Birds." I like birds because they seem so fragile, but they're tough.
ReplyDeleteThat baby is at maximum cuteness, too.
Oh, fiddle...kettle...whistle...riddle...middle...little these just flew me happily around, also waiting to see. Thank you for this delight in small wonders and words.
ReplyDeleteWonderful! You do what my favorite poetry does best--focus on something small and concrete, and have fun while you're doing it. I really love this one, Julie!
ReplyDeleteThank you all - it's nice to know when a poem reaches people. And what fun it is to write them! Aren't we lucky?
ReplyDelete