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Monday, June 3, 2013

to sit and survey all the green

Kerry has published a lovely photo for Open Link Monday, at the Imaginary Garden with Real Toads and, having no poem waiting except the limerick I wrote for Mad Kane's Limerick-off, I looked at this photo for a while, and it told me a story.

It isn't a story of strangers. It's a story of my friend Sherry, whom I've never met, who lives in one of the world's wondrous places, on Vancouver Island. Sherry and I were girls at the same time, in the same British Columbia town, and "went to different schools together"!

There were times when our addresses weren't far apart, but she went one way, and I went another, and if we passed one another on the streets, we don't remember.

Soon, still not having met, we are going to collaborate on a poem together, for Real Toads, because we were born in the same year, and know so many of the same things, that it seems inevitable we should meet at a garden like this, settle on a chair each, and take turns watering the flowers around us.


to reach, without stumbling,
a little white chair,
to sit and survey all the green
and the red
the yellow
the purple
the brown of the soil...
to sit, without worry
Photo as prompt
on one little chair
and to reach for the
small silver can
of silver water
for the plants
and the trees
and the flowers...
and then,
a friend sits on
the other chair
and we look at
the garden
together
Kay L. Davies, June 2, 2013

19 comments:

J Cosmo Newbery said...

It is a very simple pleasure but a very real one.

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
Awwww - this was delightful! What a pretty spot and I'd be happy to sit there with you. Maybe one day!! YAM xx

Susan said...

Lovely. When you two sit together, wisdom will attend.

LaTonya Baldwin said...

Lovely.collaboration is a good thing.

Grandmother Mary said...

You paint a compelling picture of friendship and the beauty of sharing it in a garden. What could be lovelier?

Daryl said...

sounds perfect to me

Gattina said...

On my bus tour around the UK we had a Canadian couple on board coming from Vancouver !

Sherry Blue Sky said...

Oh, Kay, what a lovely surprise to come in here this morning and find this! I love it. I only worry that in my lumbering into that tiny circle I might tread on some tender plants! Or fall ass over teakettle into the pond! I so love the line "looking at the green". YOU come visit ME - we have a ton of green here!

Jim said...

I like this one, Kay. That garden picture invites people to sit and stay. I wish it had a little cement block or a large brick at each chair for our feet.

You last line, unpunctuated said,
"and we look at the garden together" and in my mind I added, "while we sit and talk and listen."

Your nice lines do invite as much as the picture.
..

Jim said...

BTW Kay, in the U.S. June is "National Adopt a Cat Month."

Mrs. Jim said "No" as soon as I mentioned it to her. Our cat, Amber, died in December.
..

Grace said...

I hope someday you and Sherry will meet face to face ~ The garden is a wonderful place because of you two ~ Smiles ~

Maude Lynn said...

This makes me want to join you!

Laura said...

Isn't life amazing... growing up so near and not meeting in person but heart to heart over the internet!

Marian said...

ooh Kay, i LOVE this and i am anxiously awaiting your stellar collaboration! that will be one for the record books. or at least the poetry books. the annals. you know.

kaykuala said...

Collaborating together is a good thing. Partnerships bring good dividends. Great take Kay and so also the interview both of you penned together. Thanks for sharing Ma'am!

Hank

Kay said...

This is so beautifully sweet, Kay. You make me smile. You are the sort of friend everybody should have. Oh my! I just noticed the Iolani Palace and Art. Now there's an even bigger smile on my face.

Margaret said...

To sit and finally see one another. I wonder how many bloggers which I have commented on their blogs - how many I I have walked by on during all my travels and day-to-day living. I'll never know. I am looking forward to what you to come up with!

Anonymous said...

Kay, what a wonderful take on this prompt. I didn't realize how close you and Wild Woman are, both in age and in being Canadian... yes, I would love to have you meet up and while away the hours in the Garden together. Also can't wait to see your collaboration - and it had better be at Toads, ha ha ha.

See how strong we all make each other through these e-connections? I love this community. Thank you for reflecting that in this poem! Amy

Jenn Jilks said...

You are a delightful writer!