I'm still reveling in the wonderment that is Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival in Hattiesburg, MS... I can't wait to tell you about it! Very soon, I promise! I did live-tweet Lois Lowry's talk yesterday, and I will be doing the same for Jacqueline Woodson and Joyce Sidman (!) today.
And now, back to ARTSPEAK! This year's theme is "Plant. Grow Eat." It was inspired by the release of my latest book FRESH DELICIOUS: Poems from the Farmers' Market. Here are the poems so far:
"Courage" after Planting Corn by Stanley Mazur
"Orchard Barber Shop" after Gardener Pruning a Tree by Jacques Callot
"Gardener's Companion" after The Watering Can by Georges Seurat
Today's poem is another love poem... and it's kind of fitting, as today marks 26 years since me and Paul's first date. It was a blind date, actually, and a whirlwind courtship followed... we married almost exactly a year later. So when I saw "Rustic Courtship (in the Garden)" by Winslow Homer, I knew it was the piece I wanted to write about. But courtship poems have been done and done and done... how could I bring an element of surprise to this subject? Change perspective, of course! Read on...
Courtship (According to the Cat)
He
comes
tucked
in those suspenders,
carrying
that
pitchfork –
my
cue to slink away.
They
never say
anything
interesting anyway.
But
how his face blooms –
as
if she is sun
and
rain
and
soil.
Not
once has he
noticed
me.
When
he is there,
she
forgets my name.
- Irene Latham
Beautiful. I love the perspective. You brought newness!
ReplyDelete"Err on the side of love." It doesn't get more merciful than that, does it? Wise mother; wise daughter! Thank you so much for honoring my OLW with that goose-bump manufacturing quote. So like Jesus' merciful call from the cross, "Father, forgive them; they know not what they do." Unlike Jesus and your mother, I am too quick to believe the worse about people's intentions; that they know exactly what they are doing when they are offensive. Hardly a merciful attitude! Thank you for the challenge-reminder that I need to do the opposite: to assume the best (as I would like people to assume the best about me). Thank you! God bless you. I appreciate your incorporating your merciful reflection into an already poetry-packed post! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI love it. You've certainly captured the "cattitude" well!
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