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Friday, June 3, 2022

Swan Poem

 Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit Karen Edmisten* for Roundup.

It's June! How can that be? I always think of June as wedding season, although I've actually not been to many June weddings—and Paul and I were married in April. But someone's getting married in June, yes?

That's why today's ArtSpeak: ANIMALS poem features some wedding imagery. Thank you so much for reading!




Swans


The bride arrives
dressed in silk feathers
and wedding lace

promises to love
and cherish the pond
forever—

or at least as long
as summer surrounds
her with admirers,

swaddles her
in warm gurgles
and ripples of light.

- Irene Latham

p.s. For more swans, try "The Swan" by Mary Oliver. 

Who doesn't remember Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars? (I still have my childhood copy!)

And one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever: "The Swan" by Camille Saint-Saens, performed by Yo-Yo Ma and Kathryn Stott.




8 comments:

  1. Oh, yes...lovely bride full of promise and pretty details. Wonderful dip into June.

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  2. Cherish the pond, yes! We have swans on a pond at our zoo, always lovely to see their gliding! Thanks for Yo-Yo Ma, too, Irene. Happy Saturday!

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  3. Your poem is 'swanderful', Irene! (I happen to be a June bride - 33 years and my hubs is still the swan I want ;) <3 )

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  5. What a beautiful poem.I love how some traditional weddings vows are played with in the description of the swan and it's surroundings. My wife and I were also married in April.

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  6. Love the swam bride! I still have my copy of Summer of the Swans. It was a favorite of mine. My parents' anniversary is in June. (June 11 would be 62 years.) Love "swaddles her
    in warm gurgles
    and ripples of light."

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  7. Lovely poem, and Yo Yo makes a fabulous bonus. Maybe next time YOU will play that for us?

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  8. I love the imagery in your swan poem! I love Mary Oliver's Swan. She is one of my favorite poets! I'm not sure if I read Summer of the Swans; it does seem a little familiar, though. Happy Anniversary! I love whatever Yo Yo Ma plays. Thank you for the treats and inspiration.

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