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Friday, August 23, 2013

Sounds of silence for Real Toads

Photo by Richard Schear, 2013







out on the prairie
when coyotes sleep by day
there never is heard
much more than a bird,
or grass rustling
with rabbit bustling,
sibillant soft sounds
and nary a word
to disturb

Poems by Kay Davies, Aug. 23, 2013
Winslow Homer "Woodchopper in the Adirondacks" (detail) 1870
submitted as prompt at the Imaginary Garden with Real Toads

the way we (wish it) were

the woods had never known
anything like this
until Homer’s man arrived—
followed by the police
who nabbed him for
disturbing the peace


A denizen of the Imaginary Garden, Margaret has found herself extremely busy this month, so has asked us to "write a gently quiet poem, trying not to overuse the word quiet or like synonyms" and to use at least one of the prompt pictures she has included from her recent visits to art museums.

I have used one photo by my husband/photographer Richard Schear, and one picture Margaret provided: a detail from a painting by Winslow Homer. I chose this one with my friend and fellow Toad, Sherry, in mind, because we both feel the same way about the forests of our native British Columbia, and I've co-opted the title from a song Sherry and I both remember from the days of our youth.

Posted for
Friday, August 23, 2013



16 comments:

Hannah said...

I love the alliteration in this:

"sibillant soft sounds
and nary a word
to disturb"

and the latter...oh so important for quality quiet times...

Beautiful, Kay!

Helen said...

I enjoy looking at your husband's photography ... I've been listening to an old Eddie Arnold tape (yes, a cassette) today. Poem number one could have been put to music and recorded by the good Mr. Arnold. Of course, I giggled at poem number two.
PS .. if I label poems well, I can usually find them.

Unknown said...

Even the constant wind feels stilled in your poem. I could sleep at peace here.

Unknown said...

Great work Kay - the great out doors (god)

Unknown said...

Great work Kay - the great out doors (god)

humbird said...

Nice photo and poem; share your feeling in second story...

Vandana Sharma said...

let peace prevail

Fran said...

Beautiful, you can hear the peace and quiet xxxx

jabblog said...

You've captured the peace perfectly.

Susan said...

From hush to laughter, both in front of words and images you strung.

Kerry O'Connor said...

I don't like trees being chopped down either, Kay, even though civilization came about because man learned to utilize the resource of wood.

Sherry Blue Sky said...

I so love the description of the silence of the prairie, kiddo. And you know I agree with the second poem.....had mankind only logged sustainably, there would be no problem in the woods.....sigh.

Anonymous said...

Kay, I like the peace and the discontent expressed in the two photos and poems. :)

hedgewitch said...

Totally agree, quiet can be hard to find wherever men go, Kay--I definitely can feel that tension here in your second poem.

I love your husband's photo--beautiful!

Margaret said...

The very dignified bird alone upon the post is silent perfection, and your words add the polish.

...and if only the second were a bit more true, clear cut forests would not be a historical fact!

Wonderfuly done, thanks Kay!

Dances With Vodka said...

Wonderful!