Thursday, July 4, 2024

let there be mountains singing in all directions

I hate the summer.
~Anne Lamott



If I were to rank the seasons, summer would come in last, due to my being kakotheres ("unfitted to endure summer's heat"). This morning when I was walking the dogs, I tried to think of a word that combines "hot" and "angry" (since "hangry" is already taken). I'm open to suggestions, but in the meantime, here's a poem with a more upbeat take on summer from Manny Loley, who includes some Diné words in his work:

Let There Be
by Manny Loley
for Jaiden Peter Morgan

A good poem
is summer
       my nephew said
     mirage rising
from corn fields
midday
pollen on our tongues
each syllable
flecked with sunbeams
and names not said
shiye’ you should know
the voice isn’t ours alone
    but a dwelling space


read the rest here

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Gregory Orr:



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Bookseedstudio has the Poetry Friday round-up. Thanks, Jan!

8 comments:

Michelle Kogan said...

Lovely song poem Tabatha, thanks for introducing me to this new poet! And for the beautiful and sensitive earth video, loved the globe-👀!

jan/bookseedstudio said...

Hello wonderful Tabatha with appreciations for bringing me to poet Manny Loley. I know you can conjure the mist of mountains singing in all directions to ease your summer burder. The term kakotheres is most welcome to know & understand. [not said in 110-F -degree AZ, but written from 95-F Florida.
[Our summer secret: haul home some organic grapes, wash, dry, freeze individually on wax paper, pop a frozen grape into surprised mouths. ] xo

Rose Cappelli said...

Thank you, Tabatha. I hate the humidity of summer, but I love the flowers. I enjoyed the poem.

Denise Krebs said...

Tabatha, what a peaceful post. Even though you don't like the summer, you have given us a lovely experience of peace and joy in being through the poems you shared. Thank you. I I would think hotangry is a good word, pronounceable. Meaning is clear. I've been feeling that too, as we are in our third week, I think of over 100 degrees. Sadly, not usual for us at nearly 4000 feet elevation, but happening more and more.

Patricia Franz said...

Gosh, you had me at "A good poem/is summer..."

I have never met anyone who hated summer, Tabatha. I'm so sorry it makes you angrot (angry-hot). And it was very generous of you to share a poem that celebrates the season.

Tabatha said...

Oh, Patricia, I wouldn't say I hate summer (that's Anne Lamott who would). It's just my least favorite of the four. The weather where I live has been sufficiently unpleasant to make things tricky for all dog-walking people these days. (In fact, I'd better hurry up and take them out before it gets any worse.) I'm glad that's not an issue for you!

Mary Lee said...

I, too, would rank summer last. I never knew there was a word for my condition (kakotheres), but the humidity and sweating and the way my lymphedema arm swells all conspire to shove summer to a solid last place. Summer makes me crabbysweatyswelly.

Marcie Flinchum Atkins said...

Well, I rank summer as my #1 season and this heat is even a bit much for me. I never take naps, but after two days of early morning gardening, I took naps this week because it did me in! Here's hoping for some storms to squelch the heat and some cooler temperatures!