Thursday, November 7, 2019

Five Things

A lake... is earth's eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature.
~Henry David Thoreau


I turned a poem into a mentor poem again this week! My starter poem was written by Flora de Falbe, a young poet in the U.K. I've been thinking about putting all the mentor poems I've used together in a post, if I can find them!

Five things about the lake:

by Flora de Falbe

1. The lake is no slave to fashion, but she is proud of her frothy skirt of trees. Her dark, svelte figure.
2. She doesn’t want to talk. The air rushes over her, whistling how have you been? – and she responds with a glassy stare...

read the rest here

*******

Five things about the rainbow:
by Tabatha Yeatts

1. The rainbow is unconcerned about being person-seen. She will dart out when everyone is still inside, wondering where they left their umbrellas.
2. She hopes that the hill doesn't notice how often she alights near him. Or if he does, that he starts wishing for rain.
3. Though the rainbow's trying not to be obvious with her attentions, she can't help but appreciate how very soft his mossy sections are. The grass IS actually greener on his side.
4. She accidentally blushes a double rainbow when his flowers brush up against her. The people who spot her capture photo evidence of her embarrassment.
5. Maybe other locations would like a warm and dazzling rainbow now and then, but she moves around less and less. She feels lit up here, even when it doesn't rain.



photo by Lux Raimbow Rafael

*******

Last chance to sign up for the Winter Poem Swap!


Live Your Poem has the Poetry Friday round-up. Thanks, Irene!

15 comments:

Linda Mitchell said...

Oh, how wonderful....the Lake AND the rainbow. I love the relationship between rainbow and hill. Very sweet.

Michelle Kogan said...

I love the blushing and back and forth goings on between the rainbow and the hill– wonderful voice here Tabatha! BTW do you know the children's book about a puddle and a rainbow that alights on it, it's delightful and called "Puddle" by Richard Jackson with art by Chris Raschka, here's a link to it: https://www.amazon.com/Puddle-Richard-Jackson/dp/0062651951 Thanks!

Linda B said...

It is a perfect mentor poem, Tabatha. I love de Falbe's ending, a bit of openness there. And your own response is wonderful; that relationship of the rainbow and the hill will never let me see a rainbow the same again. I love imagining her blushing!

Janice Scully said...

I have never heard of a mentor poem but de Falbe's and yours are totally lovely. They are so playful and they are full of deep appreciation. Otherwise, how could either have been written? I love what goes on between the rainbow and the hill. Thank you.

Irene Latham said...

The grass IS actually greener. Ha! Love this so much, Tabatha.. esp. a blushing rainbow. Wonderful! xo

jama said...

Love both poems, Tabatha! You always find such gems. Rainbows will never be the same for me either -- love the whimsy in your poem.

Carol Varsalona said...

Tabatha, this is my favorite line from de Falbes' poem:
4. When the lake picks out her foliage she does so with impeccable taste. Even the fallen leaves have agreed on a colour scheme. (The lake is a fashionista.)
I also like your poem that is reflective of the teen's organizational pattern. Interesting thought that the rainbow does not want to be people seen.

Tabatha said...

Glad to share de Falbe's poem with you today! Thanks for your comments :-) Carol, it's not that she doesn't *want* to be people-seen, it's that she doesn't care one way or the other -- they aren't where her mind is at!

Molly Hogan said...

I love the lake poem and your inspired rainbow poem as well. Isn't it wonderful how poetry inspires more poetry! It gives me hope in oh-so-many ways. Thanks for another wonderful post and for introducing me to Flora de Falbe.

Michelle Heidenrich Barnes said...

Miranda and I saw the most awe-inspiring rainbow not long ago when we were driving home on the highway. It was like we were on a path to tunnel underneath it, and where it met the grass on the eastern side, it sat in a golden pool. Like it's friend, the lake, I know it would have loved your poem. Every word.

Cheriee Weichel said...

I loved both of these poems Tabatha. The lake poem reminded me of a special lake in the rockies that my mother loved. Like others before me have commented, I will think differently of rainbows when I see them. It is it's own pot of gold anyway.

Kimberly Hutmacher said...

What a lovely rainbow poem, Tabatha. Your words will have to tide me over for a while. It's already snowing in my neck of the woods. I look forward to hopefully getting another look at rainbow in the spring.

Karen Edmisten said...

Love this, Tabatha! I especially love that the grass is actually greener ... Perfect! :)

Passing the poetry contest onto my 17 yo, too. Thank you for that!

GatheringBooks said...

I am super loving your rainbow ruminations. Beautiful. :) And a lake with "frothy skirt of trees" how lovely is that. :)

Ruth said...

Such a great mentor poem, and you did such a beautiful job with it!