Followers

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

De's word list for Wednesday

A Wednesday word list for the online writers' group, Imaginary Garden with Real Toads, was presented today by De Jackson.

It's a wonderful list. In fact, it's so wonderful that I was tempted to take the words just as she listed them, to use them in the order they appeared. Delightful fun to string the list, like a bowl of beads, into couplets:
*

sketch screen march snowberry
elder tawny bergamot meadow
(the first 8 words on the list)
*
shunning shallow thorns on sapling
leave twisted indigo adaptations
(the last 8 words on the list, with "on" added)
*
 The other words in De's list of 20 were:
ivy stout-stemmed cluster  zigzag

  
So, I did write a poem using many of the words, but I am not at all sure it can beat, or even measure up to, the original list.
 

bergamot, a balm for the bees,
the shallow roots of sapling trees,
the zigzag paths of passing deer
leave twisted routes for walking here.

shunning more familiar places
avoiding thorns that grab shoelaces
I stopped to sketch a meadow then
where ivy grew on trees stout-stemmed.



I started with bergamot (monarda, or bee balm) because I recall trying to grow it in a too-cold climate. It grew, and was lovely, but unable to over-winter.

The pictures here are the ones shown on De's prompt, apple and blossom, jack-in-the-pulpit, and trumpet vine, from The Book of Wildflowers which she found on ebay.




13 comments:

Margaret said...

What a lovely image you have painted here of walking in the woods! Nicely done.

Kerry O'Connor said...

I love the way you have worked the words towards meaning in your first response, and the poem is so fresh and inviting.

De Jackson supplied the words, but I found a copy of the book on ebay - curious to see what it looks like, and itching to own a copy!

Maude Lynn said...

I think that your poem is lovely, Kay!

Grace said...

I would love to walk along with you and sketched the meadow & trees ~ Lovely weaving of words Kay ~

Unknown said...

I, too, am a fan of Bee Balm. I had a dozen or more Monarda varieties in my Mission Garden a few years ago. Like yours, they met their demise in temps below 16f. Ah well, they still elicit smiles and sweet memories.

Margaret said...

I'm gonna look on ebay too!!

Anonymous said...

This is wonderful. I love the spring images you've presented here.

Anonymous said...

Kim is right: Bee balm is lovely. I discovered it in several gardens on the Garden Walk in Buffalo, NY.
Loved the colorful globes, and, of course, any flower that helps our bee buddies is fine by me.

Loved your couplets. You seemed to have a lot of fun with this challenge, Kay, and we had fun seeing the results. Peace, Amy
http://sharplittlepencil.com/2013/03/13/snow-bizness/

Susie Clevenger said...

What a beautiful walk you took us on...I am such a poor gardener...here the problem is heat. Everything roasts in our summer sun.

Daryl said...

brava!

Marian said...

love your poem, Kay and i truly love the bee balm in all its glory.

De Jackson said...

Kay, this is a gorgeous piece. Just wonderful. Your rhyme lulled me so.

I have Kerry to thank for providing the visuals, which she found on eBay. I do own this book (picked up at a Goodwill bookstore in Florida for $4, believe it or not), but neglected to ask her if she wanted me to take any photos or scan anything. She's a resourceful one. ;) I'm thankful.

The book is just full of fantastic language. I had to have it. :)

de
whimsygizmo.wordpress.com

LLM Calling said...

I love your poetry Kay and this is especially beautiful