Jasmine Revolution

Here's what we got from the chain renga yesterday. I loved the process of doing this, a bit frightening but fascinating to see it unfurl. We managed 26 verses, pretty good for an international spread of writers. (We had two verse 25s, so I made an arbitrary decision and used the one that was numbered:)

 

Jasmine Revolution

They stand, basking in
The sunlight ‘midst the winter
Of their discontent

The bud furled tight, when prodded,
must open to the spring time.

Cold moving storms
Heading east
Dissipate precipitously

Mud clings to boots, leaves footprints
we can’t control our dreams

muddy footprints blur
against the slated path’s shine
smoothing until gone

dandelions, daffodils
vying for my attention

The petals chatter
whirling beating on the wind
the birds perch nearby

Giddy with the warmth of sun,
dappled shadows play with leaves.

Between wingtips buzz
a clouds of gnats dances high
scattering shadow

my face clouds with remembrance
warm Spring days almost now past

Spike-edged leaves picked for salads –
this sharp spring wonder.
Sun licks dressing from your lips

Don’t spare me the lemon juice
Don’t blunt your mouth with white lies

It’s not the lying
That angers me so much as
It’s bald faced nature

Flowers turn their faces
to the fence. A kind of shame.

Rooting down below
to grasp some dirt-bound essence
required skyward.

Tears of sorrow and of joy,
both nourish the thirsty depths.

Dew upon dew falls,
mist lays down in sheets. Enough
times to rise a flood.

the sudden drumming of rain
splatters judgement in this way

leaves, flowers, trees, none
are excused from nature’s court
all rise for the sun

Bailiff’s gavel summons all;
They answer, save the sleeper.

Sleeping ‘neath the soil
Fruit of judgement starts to heave
Its way into view

Brown eye looks up to gold,
Sunflower turns to greet sun.

Somewhere, summer has ended.
The bee doesn’t know.
She hums, singing, to the blue.

Passing flower to flower
Seeding the generations

Who tunes the bees’ hums?
Who loosens the strings of tides,
rolls thunder like dice?

Lightning wakes the hawk and crow
Reaper and black scavenger