There are so many layers to this beautiful book – nature, stewarding the natural landscape, and from the book’s description: “the relationship between the peoples of the African diaspora and the land on which they live.” But the one that resonates deeply with me is Dungy’s insistence that amidst all of this is who she is as a mother, a wife, a daughter, a friend.
I plan to read her poetry collections Trophic Cascade (2017) and Smith Blue (2011) this month also. Each morning, I peruse Dungy’s lines or passages I’ve captured on my kindle and use them as a poetry prompt. I want to explore where these same areas touch my life.
Here are the first few:
April 1
We should all take time to plant life in the soil. Even when such planting isn’t easy.
toil
so much more than one tiny seed, we
are hope, joy, sweat, a future –should
you dare risk committing yourself to all
that hides within me? take
me in your cupped hand and this time
offer thanks to sun, to rain, to
loam and clay before you plant
me deep underground –offer thanks for life
light, air in
a world where the
earthworm toils in darkness, birthing soil
bury me –that I may transform –even
the caterpillar spins in trust when
entombed in time such
surrender this is what planting
a garden asks, isn’t
it? you were not promised easy
©draft, Patricia J. Franz
April 2
Patience is a kindness that carries me through long days and longer nights.
Patience
Patience is a wild bougainvillea
Accustomed to stingy care, the random rain
Trellised like a trophy, a temptress on display
Ignored until the fullness of her painted tips
Explodes in summer’s passion
Never a word, thorns hidden
Cloaked behind each tempting leaf
Eye candy with revenge on her mind
@draft, Patricia J. Franz
It’s Poetry Friday!
Our friend Irene Latham is in full-joy mode and hosting this week’s Poetry roundup here.
Patricia Franz is a kidlit writer and published poet. 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. 
These beautiful verses began my day before dawn – truly lovely. Thank you for these, and for learning about Camille T. Dungy.
Beautiful verse from equally beautiful inspiration. Thank you for sharing, Patricia. “Patience is a wild bougainvillea” – I will carry that throughout the day.
Patricia, what wonders you have shared. The golden shovel is full of linefuls for praise and reverence for the magic of the soil and that one tiny seed. And the wild bougainvillea with the thorns “eye candy with revenge on her mind” is funny and so true!
Oh Patti, I loved your reflection of Toil so much that I am going to use it as an opening prayer for our Bible study this week.
Soil is on my list, Patricia, hoping someday I can get to it. So, thanks for sharing some & writing your own celebration of a seed, what to do ‘before’ you plant. That’s a beautiful thought while we all ready ourselves for this. And “eye candy with revenge on her mind.” It reminds me of one exhortation I often tell myself, to slow down, to do what’s important first! Thanks for the thought-filled poems!
Patricia,
Your golden shovel poem went deep & beautifully played off Camille T.Dungy’s thought.
I’m appreciative of knowing of this talented new-to-me poet & author.
And soil as a topic is dear to my hands & heart. I come by soil love/experience thru my dear Dad, who was a child laboring on his parents’ subsistence farm & as an adult was a happy, successful home gardener. Today my hubby & I baby our small yard’s plants & trees organically, especially the 2 lemon [deep-freeze 27F winters kept them from budding @ yrs. but this season we are rewarded with bees around the fragrant tiny lemon flowers] & one fledging avocado [2nd yr. of buds now becoming fruit.]. I luv how you are comfortable with a deep range of planting experiences. I’m going to hope Ms. Dungy has also written of drought…
Appreciations for this post!
Your golden shovel is an inspiration! I also love your Patience. My favorite line is “Eye candy with revenge on her mind.” Love it all, Patricia!
Gorgeous, Patricia! I’ve read Camille’s SOIL but not this one yet. (I have a file of excerpts too!) The big message I get from her is how gardens are about HOPE. Thank you!! xo
Oops I just realized this is the same book! Ha ha! I will send you my file so we can compare favorites! xo
You know I LOVE this book! I read Tropic Cascade but not Smith Blue. I will check it out. I love that your project is inspired by this book. So much beautiful stuff in it!
Great book, fantastic poems-in-response. I like the golden shovel, but I adore your acrostic.
What an intriguing book description–I will definitely look for it. I love how you’ve used inspiring lines as poetry prompts. I especially enjoyed the end of “toil.”
Wow – Thanks for sharing all of this, Patricia. That bougainvillea poem is so compelling with perfect imagery (and sass/danger) that I forgot it was an acrostic while reading it.
“even
the caterpillar spins in trust” Gorgeous, Patricia! And your acrostic–wow! Sizzling :>)
These are beautiful Patricia. Adding this book to my pile for this month for sure! Thank you so much for sharing. “should/ you dare risk committing yourself / to all that hides within me?” ooof! Powerful!