Our host at ethicalela has challenged us today to write Sestinas. Here is my Sestina for today, thinking back on our memories of the weekend camping at F. D. Roosevelt State Park in Pine Mountain, Georgia:
Autumn Sestina What’s thumping on the camper roof? Acorns! A sure sign of autumn~ Cozying around the campfire The smell of smoke Us, kicked back in our chairs Warming our hearts, holding hands Joining our spirits, clasping hands As squirrels gather acorns We watch one scamper from our chairs In the chill air of autumn Through the wisps of smoke Curling up from our campfire This marshmallow-roasting campfire We try not to burn our hands Our hair, clothes saturated in smoke Burning leaves, logs, twigs, acorns In the evening air of autumn In our folding camp chairs A Christmas gift from our kids, these chairs Perfect for the campfire~ Anytime, but especially autumn (Careful! They will pinch hands!) Are there patterns in these acorns? Signals in this smoke? Early morning embers revive a flame from smoke We reposition our chairs Shield our heads from falling acorns Drink our coffee by the campfire Hot mugs warming our hands Ahhh…..the crisp air of autumn There is no season like autumn! Rich with leaves and smoke Jump in the leaves! Run, holding hands! Nestle under blankets, side by side, in chairs! Gather at the campfire Under the head-pelting acorns Plant a tiny acorn There by the campfire will it be an oak? You wonder, from your chair
*During the months of August and September on days when I’m not participating in the Open Write at www.ethicalela.com, I will be writing in response to the pages of Dictionary for a Better World: Poems, Quotes, and Anecdotes from A to Z by Irene Latham and Charles Waters, illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini. The poems, poetic forms, narratives, quotes, and calls to action to make one small difference might be just the medicine my world – or the whole world – needs. I’ll be inviting insights in the form of an immersion into a 10-minute-a-day book study (just long enough to read the page, reflect, and connect). If you don’t have a copy of the book, you can order one here on Amazon. I invite you to join me in making August and September a time of deep personal book friendship. A few teachers will be following the blog and engaging in classroom readings and responses to the text. So come along! Let’s turn the pages into intentionally crafting beautiful change together.
Common Threads 