Casa Grande
wherein
life holds death
and
death holds life
she sits in stillness
on a sandstone shelf of ruins,
longing for a moment to rest her eyes
snatch sleep from the scars of crumbling walls,
a wary mother ignores her babies’ cries
waiting for night when life revives
wherein
life holds death
and
death holds life
the unwitting desert mouse, snatched
a weary mother mourns:
Did you wrap the gilded frames?
Bury the blankets?
Burn the furniture?
What remains?
wherein
life holds death
and
death holds life
silence returns, surrenders
a desert mother whispers to the walls,
“Watch over my babies; may their hope
outgrow this place.”
April 19, 2022
©draft, Patricia J. Franz
I attended my first-ever, in-person poetry workshop this week (to celebrate National Poetry Month) at the beautiful Casa Grande Ruins National Monument.
Casa Grande preserves what remains of an ancestral Sonoran desert people’s farming community and “Great House.” Poetry in the Parks was hosted by poet Jodie Hollander, a professional poet of 10 years and author of “My Dark Horses.” Jodie had a dream to bring writers together to explore the poetry of place.
Our morning consisted of conversation, breaking open a couple of poems, writing prompts, and sharing our “s-@&!-y first drafts” (as Anne Lamott would say). Spring in Coolidge, Arizona looks a lot like extreme summer in most other places, which is to say, temps ticked toward 95 degrees by the time the workshop ended. But our writing time hovered in “the grateful 80s” and the Great House, Casa Grande, shared enough shade that I was able to craft this poem.
Happy Earth Day!
Not only has Margaret at Reflections on the Teche organized us for the 2022 Progressive Poem, she is also hosting this week’s #PoetryFriday roundup. And if you will, send up a prayer for Margaret’s dad and mom and family.
Patricia Franz writes picture books and poetry. She believes children, dogs, and sourdough have a lot to teach us about life, joy, and wonder. She has raised two boys, four dogs, and holds a master’s degree in Theology with a focus on children’s spirituality. Patricia, her husband, her Bernese Mountain dog, Bonny, and her sourdough starter split their time between the Arizona desert and the Sierra Nevada mountains. 
Happy Earth DAy! How wonderful…to spend time in this park with poetry. Such a beautiful draft that comes from your time, too.
Thank you, Linda; yes, it was a beautiful morning. Poetry in the Parks is hoping to expand to other national parks at some point.
Sounds like a lovely day–except for that heat! Yowsa. I love the reversal of life and death in your poem.
lol — but it’s a DRY heat!
Patricia, your retreat is filled with wonderful memories and a poem with an amazing repetitive set of lines. The desert heat and the setting gave you inspiration to write with your muse.
yes, there was definitely poetry in this place!
Your writing workshop sounded like a wonderful experience. It inspired you to create a beautiful draft poem in a unique setting. The repetitive lines are haunting and lead me to pause and ponder.
Thank you, Carol!
I guess I responded twice when I did not see the first comment posted.
no worry, Carol!
What a place to inspire a poem! I found myself pondering how in ruins, as in your poem, with it’s lovely refrain, life and death come together in such a stark manner. What a great workshop.
It was truly an experience of the poetry of place!
Awe inspiring setting for what sounds like a wonderful workshop. Quite a thought provoking poem. The repetition of the “life holds death” stanza gave it a prayerful feel. Nice job!
Thank you, Jama; perhaps a prayer… I’ll have to think about that.
That’s a beautiful poem, as is the photo. I hope Poetry in the Parks will go east. I’d totally do something like that!
I agree! I told the park ranger that day that it would open an entirely different form of destination travel for me!
It’s a lovely capture of one who survives this lonely place, Patricia. What a special area to write. I’ve spent time in the Sonora Desert & it is amazing to learn about, be in! I love the flow of your poem, that line “waiting for night when life revives” -extraordinary from the owl’s POV.
Thank you, Linda; yes, this desert is wonderful! I was so delighted to come upon the owl!
Hmmm, life is so fragile and your poem speaks to this beautifully–hope the baby owls do survive and see beyond
“may their hope
outgrow this place.”
Thanks for your contemplative poem Patricia, what a lovely spot to write a poem in!
Thank you, Michelle; I would’ve loved to have spotted the babies, but I did hear them!
So glad you went to this workshop – because we have all benefitted from your poetic output. I adore the refrain of:
wherein
life holds death
and
death holds life
Me, too; thank you, Sally!
What a GREAT refrain, Patricia! The contrast is amazing and just right for the story in this poem!
Thank you, Anastasia; the place lent itself to thoughts of life and death being held together in one space.
What a special place to spend time writing poetry!!! The inspiration shines through your poem.
It really was! Thank you, Michelle!
Wow, Patricia – What a special experience. Echoing praise for your poem, and that powerful and true refrain. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Robyn!
I, too, love the refrain of your poem, Patricia. And visiting your blog reminds me of the beauty of the Sonoran desert. (We lived in Tucson for 10 years before moving to Switzerland.)
Tucson is where I fell in love with the desert! But, true confessions: I split my time between desert and mountains (I live in Lake Tahoe part of the year) – so, like you I am blessed to love both!