Slice of Life Tuesdays #190903.
The air is dry, scented with fading lavender and blooming peppermint that lines my walkway.
Pears and apples are falling, those that the squirrels haven’t already claimed.
My rose bushes are still bearing buds, promising a few more blossoms.
The grass is brown and will remain that way until October rains come.
Sounds of school — buses slowing to turn our corner, voices of children walking our sidewalks, and dismissal bells — are binding up the loose routines that filled summer.
It is September.
When September arrives, I feel such a mix of emotions, for I dislike saying goodby to summer, yet I love fall’s brilliantly warm colors and bonfire evenings.
Yesterday I admired some sunflowers that towered above me. Coupled with thoughts of our waning summer, these sunflowers inspired me to draft a poem and use personification. Can you figure out the antecedents for the pronouns, the characters of the poem?
Not sure of its title, not sure it’s finished, but I’ll share it anyway.
Above all others,
I stand tall, straight,
lifting my face,
engulfed in her warmth.
I beg her to stay.
She says she must go.
Her days are spent.
The land is parched.
We need a change.
I entreat her to listen.
Look how I’ve flourished
while you’ve been here;
surely we can continue
this life we’ve begun.
I wait for her answer.
The heat of the day
turns chilly that night;
geese fly south;
pears fall.
Softly she whispers.
Drop your seeds, for
when I return,
they’ll grow tall,
above all others.
I bow my head.
*Dialogue between Summer and Sunflower.
© 2019 Alice Nine
Slice of Life Tuesdays
#SOL19
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Two Writing Teachers
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I love the phrase “binding up the loose routines”–so apt! The personification of the sunflower and the sun gave me thoughtful pause…and looks like a great writing prompt for students, too. Now if only those cooler temps would make their way to Texas…
Mmm… the structure of the poem really catches my attention, as do the grace and melancholy of the voice. Yes, though I know it will return, I mourn the passing of summer. That said, I’m glad to get to read your posts again.
I think that each month has its own passings and promises of things to come. It would be interesting to do a calendar of poems shedding light on what it brought and what the future holds.
That’s a great idea. I have blackline master pages from “long ago” –one per month– that I use as dividing pages in my bullet journal. The pages have doodles ideas, quotes, a poem, and activities.
Such a beautiful description.
Thank you!
I, too, love the autumn. However, with every passing year my children are getting older, I’m finding it harder and harder to watch the summertime end.