how are you? ‘i’m fine’ is our standard line (really?)
looks like we, our family, civilization may self-destruct
only a hero can save us now — our hope is that God will!
__________
“For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, ‘In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and trust shall be your strength.’ But you were unwilling…Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.
Wandering past my dusky wet garden
twilight meets me, dancing with fireflies
cicadas serenade blades of tall ditch grass
pink clouds palely kiss soft lavender skies
Wondering if snake stripes glow nocturnal,
i startle at whirred flight of june beetle bug
humid air oppressed by scant scent of skunk
rippled rhubarb leaf umbrellas sleeping slug.
See Laura’s prompt at dVerse Poets inspired by naturalist poet, Laurie Lee. He sought simplicity in his poetry; often written in 1st person, quatrain form, ABCB rhyme.
An amazing animal to observe is the North American river otter. An otter’s dainty ears, alert eyes and long whiskers give it an engaging appearance. Otters are curious and sociable creatures. Their antics entertain and they like to perform.
Otters are the only water-loving members of the weasel family and are perfectly designed for swimming. They have extra-thick fur that traps air between the under-layer and longer guard hairs to keep their skin dry. Their torpedo-shaped bodies with short limbs are impressively streamlined. Webbed hind feet prove efficient as flippers. Claws, speed and teeth equip this carnivore for proficient fishing.
My husband and I enjoyed watching the river otter dive, swim and spin in its tank at the Houston Zoological Park. I recorded a brief video which later delighted our grand daughters. Each creature designed by God reveals his wisdom and glory. Each plays a vital role in nature’s ecological balance.
Inside a rustic cabin deep in Yukon territory, an old miner seasoned a simmering pot of venison stew.
Stroking his grizzled chin, he thought about the majestic elk herd he’d encountered migrating through a mountain meadow late that afternoon: one dominant young bull calling a large group of cows and calves to follow. After the herd disappeared over a ridge, a straggler came stumbling out of the trees: an old bull, wild-eyed and abandoned. Somehow he’d felt a kindred spirit to the animal…
Later, eerie howls of wolves on their twilight hunt woke him. He stirred the fire’s embers before going outside in the dark to check on his pack mule. Under waning moon, he was fumbling with the cabin latch on his return when far away an interrupted cry of the lone elk was heard as the hungry pack took him down.
An exercise in “prosery” for dVerse where Bjorn challenges us to write flash fiction of 144 words (exactly!) and include the phrase (from Robert Frost) in italics above.
Linking to dVerse poetics where Amaya asks us to “cry me a river” with music.
why do i love you still
so deeply it hurts?
cry of man’s solo voice
breaks lonely hearts
sigh of flute’s minor-keyed
lament clearly haunts
try to release emotion in
sealed letters unsent
nigh insane from promised
satin nights unspent
fly to LOVE himself, the
primal truth unbent.
For me, this old song is crying put to music. To love is to be vulnerable and to risk not being reciprocated…but we love anyway and love is real; powerful, often painful.
The Moody Blues first recorded this song in 1967 and here they reunited to sing it again years later.
In my youthful innocence, I first thought the words were “knights in white satin” 🙂 I play flute so I’m drawn to the instrument’s mellow sound.
For believers, love songs can also reflect God’s amazing love for us!
a poem in my pocket 
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