Friday, October 11, 2013

FALL POEMS by Valerie Worth

Hello, and happy Poetry Friday. Be sure to visit the ever-delightful Laura Purdie Salas at Writing the World for Kids for Roundup.

I'm back with one more post of Valerie Worth poems, all celebrating fall. More Valerie Worth can be found on the left sidebar.

I've always loved fall. And I love these poems!

pumpkin

After its lid
is cut, the slick
Seeds and stuck
Wet strings
Scooped out,
walls scraped
Dry and white,
Face carved, candle
Fixed and lit,

Light creeps
into the thick
Rind: giving
That dead orange
Vegetable skull
Warm skin, making
A live head
To hold its
Sharp gold grin.

- Valerie Worth


autumn geese

One long
Ragged
Thread

Unravels
The whole
World.

- Valerie Worth


skeletons

Is it the
Curve of their
Breezy ribs, the
Crook of their
Elegant fingers,

Their eyeless
Eyes, so wide
And wise,
Their silent
Ivory laughter,

The frisk and
Prance of their
Skittering dance
With never a
Pause for breath,

That fills us
With such
Delicious delight,
While scaring us
Half to death?

- Valerie Worth



haunted house

Its echoes,
Its aching stairs,
Its doors gone stiff
At the hinges,

Remind us of its
Owners, who
Grew old, who
Died, but

Who are still
Here: leaning
In the closet like
That curtain rod,

Sleeping on the cellar
Shelf like this
Empty

Jelly jar.

- Valerie Worth

I'll be back next week with a report from the Southern Book Festival in Nashville, TN, where I am presenting a panel entitled "Budding Resilience: Navigating Adult Issues in a Young Adult World" with authors Laura Golden (EVERY DAY AFTER) and Andrea Beaty (DORKO THE MAGNIFICENT). To make things extra-fun, I am traveling with my better-than-ice cream friend Pat. Yippee!!!

13 comments:

  1. I absolutely adore the pumpkin poem. I will think of it every time I see a pumpkin--which will be a lot this month.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Irene, thank you again for all these marvelous words from Valerie Worth. I've loved every one. This time, that "empty jelly jar"! Oh my, it's just terrific! Have fun at your Book Festival-wish Denver had one!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love Valerie Worth. Today this one is my favorite: "autumn geese" Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Always such a pleasure to read Worth's poems. The pumpkin one is my favorite of these. Have a fun time at the Festival.

    ReplyDelete
  5. These are great! Love the phrase "the curve of their breezy ribs"! Thanks for sharing Worth's poetry today.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks for sharing more wonderful Worth poems. I'm going to be imagining "eyeless Eyes, so wide And wise" all month!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Autumn Geese - how to say so much with such spare grace. Thanks for sharing these!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Love Autumn Geese! I will think of it next time they fly over the playground when I'm on recess duty (duck and cover!!).

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh, those Autumn Geese. A masterpiece. Love the pumpkins, too. Well, really, love everything Valerie Worth:>) Perfect poems for this weekend--thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  10. And while we are on the topic of fall poems- there is a writing contest for seasonal poems at The Children's Writer.

    Love fall!

    ReplyDelete
  11. What flavor would I be? I know ... Do they make persimmon ice cream

    ReplyDelete
  12. What a wonderful, wonderful poet! I have been enjoying the ones you've been sharing so much.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Oh, I have memories of many basements -- dark and shadowy, cobwebby empty jelly jars and all. Gives me the shivers.

    ReplyDelete

Your thoughts?