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Sunday, May 10, 2015

A Rabbit On the Lawn



Along the window, my treasures,
too many for this small space,
but too precious to give away,
wink in the sunlight.

So, my heart is too full 
of the comings and goings 
 that carved deep etchings
onto its surface,
down which blood falls like tears.

And yet one's soul stretches
like a mountain gully,
expanding to accommodate
all the loves and losses,
peaks and valleys,
of a life,
the meadowlark's trill at dusk 
often enough to patch it up
to live another day, 
when too much has been
stripped away.

I have been less than I wanted to be
in this life,
yet more than I might have been.
It cannot be done over.

Watch the sunset transform 
the color of the sky. 
There'll be another dawn or two,
still, for you and I.

I saw a rabbit, this morning, 
on the lawn.
One blink, and she, too, 
will soon be gone. 


For Real Toads, in the style of Jane Hirshfield's STANDING DEER

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20 comments:

  1. Debi SwimMay 10, 2015 at 3:35 PM

    Sherry, such depth and width here. I love the first stanza and the ending. You have captured so much of life.

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  2. GraceMay 10, 2015 at 3:52 PM

    I love the inspired words Sherry ~ How you capture the cycle of life & death in these lines:

    And yet one's soul stretches
    like a mountain gully,
    expanding to accommodate
    all the loves and losses,
    peaks and valleys,
    of a life

    Thanks for participating and wishing you happy spring week ~

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  3. SusanMay 10, 2015 at 4:06 PM

    "And yet one's soul stretches
    like a mountain gully,"
    What an image! Who would have thought it could accommodate all of its challenges? In time too--don't be surprised if that bunny rabbit has more than one blink to go!

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  4. Maude LynnMay 10, 2015 at 5:34 PM

    I adore that fourth stanza. And the ending. And, well, all of it!

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  5. Sanaa RizviMay 10, 2015 at 5:38 PM

    I absolutely adored this poem..! :D
    One of your finest works :D
    xoxo

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  6. brudbergMay 10, 2015 at 9:33 PM

    What a wonderful use of nature's imagery to tell the story of life. The view of that rabbit is such a perfect ending

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  7. JimMay 10, 2015 at 9:44 PM

    I liked how you delved deeper and deeper into life (yours or your poet's), but not totally I KNOW. Then when enough has been told or lamented upon the rabbit pops up in the lawn to rescue us from an ending not good.
    Our kids have two rabbits that have been spending time in their back yard. One likes to spend hours sitting under the ground end of KP's slide. The other sits in the grass nearby. They leave at night. Their age? By their size, about three quarter grown, maybe adolescents.
    ..

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  8. grapelingMay 10, 2015 at 10:03 PM

    truth. i have to remind myself of this, all the time. being a hare in a world of - humans (the apex predator, and the one most capable of cruelty. wolves, I admire...) ~

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  9. Rosemary Nissen-WadeMay 10, 2015 at 11:35 PM

    Each verse is near perfect — only to be extended by the next one, and the next.... Another very lovely poem.

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  10. OutlawyerMay 11, 2015 at 3:58 AM

    Another favorite of yours--this fourth stanza especially--a real wisdom to keep in mind. But all is beautiful. Thank you, Sherry. k.

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  11. AnonymousMay 11, 2015 at 6:51 AM

    I LOVE this. I enjoyed it so much. Thank you!

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  12. HannahMay 11, 2015 at 9:59 AM

    The depth in this, Sherry is heart expanding...such a beautiful meaningful response to Jane's poetry.

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  13. MaryMay 11, 2015 at 6:51 PM

    Sherry, this poem really has a sadness to it. I don't know if anyone is ever all that they wished to be in this life! We all might have been more...but we also might have been less. We must just appreciate just what we have been. The reminder of the rabbit hits hard. But is really apt! A stunning poem, my friend.

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  14. Susie ClevengerMay 11, 2015 at 9:26 PM

    I am not who I wanted to be, but more than others thought I'd become. I think we all have these moments, but we can't rewind a clock to correct our errors. Life is a wink and miss.

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  15. WolfsrosebudMay 12, 2015 at 7:17 AM

    I have been less than I wanted to be
    in this life, yet more than I might have been.

    ... these lines are life lessons

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  16. C.C.May 12, 2015 at 7:46 AM

    This: "And yet one's soul stretches
    like a mountain gully,
    expanding to accommodate
    all the loves and losses,
    peaks and valleys,
    of a life,"---is such a beautiful description, Sherry. What a lyrical, poetic way of wording things. Love this :-)

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  17. De JacksonMay 12, 2015 at 10:05 AM

    So lovely. I love that second to last stanza, especially.

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  18. TruedessaMay 13, 2015 at 3:33 AM

    Life is a journey that spans the mountain peaks and valleys. I was once told it doesn't matter how many times we fall in the climb, but how many times we get back up and continue forward. I am not what I hoped to be, but there is still some time to the things I have yet to do they just may have to be altered a bit to fit the day.I saw a rabbit Friday night I was sitting on a deck and he came to eat the grass below and I watched him as the sun set over the horizon and he hopped away. A lovely poem my friend your eye is keen to life around you.

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  19. ninotazizMay 13, 2015 at 8:19 AM

    I do not know whether to love this, or cry.

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  20. AnonymousMay 14, 2015 at 8:14 PM

    Gorgeous poem, Sherry. It delves into a true life.

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