In my last two posts, I described the process of writing four poems for four sculptures being installed simultaneously downtown. I was under a tight deadline and wasn’t sure I could pull it off. Here’s what I came up with.
FOUR SCULPTURES IN FOUR SEASONS
Summer
Lizzy’s ghost splashes in the heart
of downtown, unperturbed by endless
chatter. Soap bubbles in the fountain,
cartwheels on the lawn. Bees drone
while redwoods dream of damp, dappled
groves to the north. Dog walkers mingle
with retirees seeking respite from heat.
A pair of tumbling tots join in.
Fall
Windmills march across the Altamont,
a sunflower soars above the sidewalk,
each drinks the west wind from a cup
of endless blue. Pumpkins crowd
buckets and bins; vibrant jewels
decorate a vineyard’s velvet gown.
We toast to health and abundance,
hearts spilling gratitude.
Winter
Even at solstice, birds worship the sky,
wheeling upward in a tethered spiral
before angling south. A thousand songs
sing on the leafless horizon, whispering
their silvered secrets to the sleeping
earth. Cold wind blows off the ocean.
Gathered like tangled vines, we
shiver and wait for light.
Spring
Peace rises in the east, welcome
as the sun after a fierce storm,
arms aloft, cradling a string of
origami cranes. The doe-eyed dawn,
colored like a blessing, paints each
with a word as they burst into flight:
acceptance, compassion, diversity,
truth, joy, love, and lastly, hope.
I’m pretty pleased with the results. What do you think?
Until next time,
Cynthia
