It’s PoetryFriday!
Welcome! Want to know more? Click here.
This week’s round up is hosted by Tanita Davis at {fiction, instead of lies}
Join the poetry conversation!
Thank you, Linda Mitchell, for your annual clunker exchange.
I was happy to play with the line: I claimed green and grew into it. I love the play on words that green offers.
Surrounded as I am by a forest greened in every hue, the word challenged me to look beyond color to find a poem that would be worthy of the word.
Beyond Green
Thirst mistletoes a fir. Nestled
out of view, it’s the non-native
who struggles. Fooled by neon-dipped
branch tips, its dayglow a montane green…
what did I know then of dying forests,
of bark beetles and blister rust?
I claimed green and grew into it:
OPEC and gas shortages; energy
crises of my own making; craving
A/C and strawberries in May;
smog alerts, pesticide spray. Then one day,
wildfires claimed my green. Cries
of veridian, army, avocado,
earthy moss and fern, seeded me
in diversity…deep, dark, beyond green.
draft, PJF
images courtesy of pixaby
Green has long been shorthand for ecological mindfulness. And yes, it took me awhile to grow into an adult sense of what that might look like in my life. From growing my own vegetables to composting to saving water to choosing away from my fossil fuel lifestyle – green calls, never more so than in the midst of savage summer wildfires.
And yes, if you hear an undertone of something else…non-native struggles, diversity…I am also listening for another possible meaning…beyond green.
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. 
Beyond green. Yes! I love all these green words, Patricia. Such variety of sound and deliciousness! xo
Wow! this poem is amazing. I love all the naming of green. But that first line that makes mistletoe a verb. That’s so fresh and unique. I’m blown away. This is a clunker no more! Look at those words shine like stars, gorgeous green glowing stars. And, green is my favorite color so this poem reads like a bit of an anthem. Finger snapping here!
Patricia, you certainly have taken me beyond green with your luscious imagery that pops from the roots of beautiful word choice. Your ending was colorful and picturesque. “seeded me
in diversity…deep, dark, beyond green.” This line is a wonderful choice for an ending. Linda’s clunker became your gem.
Patricia, the clunker exchange always seems to deliver treasure from discarded lines and your poem is no exception to this rule. The greenery proves to be most fertile ground for your entire post. What a landscape you have laid before us.
Hopefully we can ALL grow into more green…in order to save our planet! Your poem is a call to action both beautiful and urgent.
From your first line “thirst mistletoes a fir, you draw me into this imagery rich beyond green scene. I like how you explore your thoughts about green from innocence to a deeper understanding.
Yes, I caught and loved “it’s the non-native/who struggles” — so good, Patricia! I love the layers here and the impetus you’ve provided for us to think and sift through all the implications. Thank you!
I LOVE all of these words for green. And your opening line is PERFECTION!