Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Snow Melt

the snow melts and slides
back to liquid
released from solidity

seen from below
the tugs look embroidered
onto the surface of the bay
tiny on that big water
fed by sixteen rivers

this is how the bay breathes
exhaling toward seaweed,
salinity, seals, and sharks
this is how the new
supersedes the old

awaiting evaporation
to be a mist rising
above its brothers
then a cloud, then snow

* * * * *

This poem was written in response to Wordle 3 at a wordling whirl of Sundays.

16 comments:

  1. A very thoughtful wordle, Richard. And a science lesson to boot. I love 'exhaling toward seaweed.'

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  2. Mary, thank you as always for your kind words. As a teacher, I find science creeps into my poems quite a bit. And thanks again for selecting my poem as Poem of the Week at Poets United.

    Richard

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  3. Richard,
    This is another I'd like to read to my students. They sure enjoyed the other I read them--about the bay as well. You write what you know. Your intimacy with the landscape shines through your work.
    ~Brenda

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  4. Brenda, thanks. Please share with your students; I consider it an honor. Keep those wordles coming; they inspire me. Glad to know I'm capture the place I live so well.

    Richard

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  5. I love the direction you took this. "awaiting evaporation to be a mist rising above its brothers then a cloud, then snow" is gorgeous!

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  6. I have always believed the connections between science and art to be profound and elemental. You prove my theory with this piece. How can the tides, nature's give and take be so poetic? And how can it not?
    Lovely!

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  7. very thoughtful post, I particularly enjoyed the imagery of the snow melting. You paint a lovely picture for the mind's eye.

    For more great poetry goodies and weekly prompts you might want to check out my little community I've just created:

    http://the-writers-cafe.blogspot.com/

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  8. This is great how you go full circle with this poem. I love the look at winter and the sea, too. It seems like an exotic other land. I enjoy going to other places in poetry.

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  9. "to be a mist rising above its brothers" -- what an exquisite line. I could feel the misty air as I read your poem. Lovely!

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  10. Kim, thank you. Well said! As a teacher, I love the precision/knowledge aspect of science, and the ambiguity/play of language, so I understand your take on science and art. How can they not? indeed.

    Judy, thank you. I was pleased with that contrast, winter and sea in the same poem. It was a fun place for me to go to as well.

    Judith, thank you. I'm partial to that line myself.

    Richard

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  11. Mr Walker,

    Your words paint a picture of the circle of life itself.
    A very nice read.

    Best wishes, Eileen

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  12. impressed,

    the way your words speak.

    seaweed, seals, and sharks, wow.

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  13. impressed,

    the way your words speak.

    seaweed, seals, and sharks, wow.

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  14. Stacy, I've rescued your comment from spam. Thank you for the kind words. I will check out your site.

    Eileen, thank you. Glad you liked it - and picked up on the cycle.

    Jingle, thank you.

    Richard

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  15. Good word weaving here.
    I really like the salinity, sharks, and seaweed. And the most artistic water cycle lesson ever!

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  16. Mike, thank you. I don't often manage alliteration, but I think that one works. Since I teach the water cycle to my fifth grade students, it's shown up a lot lately in my poems.

    Richard

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