August Rust
AKA: Our Dog Days are Numbered
Green August ages into rust
Days shrink and summer’s wilt crackles
Burdock burrs fatten and threaten to cling
Fireflies like porch lights shut off
Vines strangle beans and pumpkins escape
from the smother of leaves now shriveled
Pedicured toenails have outgrown pink polish
Tall faded sunflowers hunch over
Woodpeckers knock and squirrels drop acorns
Over-ripe tomatoes split open and weep
Lethargic crickets trapped in the house
have quit their whining complaints
Approaching cold nights will kill the most tender
Hunters are scoping their sights
~ Colleen 8/25/07
Comments
Hi Colleen: I love everything about this poem - the photo you included is so apt. "Green August ages into rust" - such a great line. I went for a walk with EM this afternoon and witnessed the first signs of autumn. I'm hoping for another west coast Indian summer.
Rhian hosts a Poetry Train Monday (http://creativegoddesses.blogspot.com/); and your poem would be such a wonderful addition. Please consider.
Posted by: Christine | August 27, 2007 11:39 PM
Love this imagery! It's nice to remember that life cycles on. I also think "Green August ages into rust" is a great capture. May I share your poem with my friends?
Posted by: June | August 28, 2007 8:57 AM
Yes, of course, June. Often writing starts for me with the first line, the jumping off point. This one was like that. It's dark but still has some pink in it.
Posted by: colleen | August 28, 2007 9:01 AM
Love this. So many images of summer fading away.
Posted by: Nancy | August 28, 2007 11:04 AM
Excellent, Colleen!
Posted by: kenju | August 28, 2007 2:28 PM
boy does this ever have the flavor of summer ending - the poem creates a wonderful visual stew.
I thought this was funny and brilliant:
"Over-ripe tomatoes split open and weep"
Thanks for hopping on the Train Colleen - you're welcome to join us anytime!
Posted by: rhian | August 28, 2007 6:32 PM
No one in LA would write that poem. I'll have to write our version of it in the next few weeks...when we start to see changes.
Very lovely imagery.
~S
Posted by: Shephard | August 29, 2007 12:18 AM
What a lovely evocation of the coming autumn. Beautiful, Colleen, just beautiful.
Posted by: Absolute Vanilla (and Atyllah) | August 29, 2007 8:40 AM
Such beautiful images, Colleen, to capture the fullness, the richness of the season, with just the right melancholy. I loved it!
Posted by: Vesper | August 29, 2007 11:57 AM
wonderful, colleen! you captured the end of summer perfectly!!
do you leave your sunflowers up all winter for the birds or do you dry them inside for the seeds?
Posted by: amy f. | August 29, 2007 4:19 PM
I've been roasting red peppers for freezing all afternoon. What a mess! My sunflowers this year are some sort of hybrid, shorter than the tall ones and so they didn't make seeds. The last time I grew the tall ones, I brought the dead head in the house to worship the mandala pattern. Over time the seeds fell out and attracted mice!
Update: I checked and they DO have sunflower seeds. I'll dry the heads out and save them for the birds.
Posted by: colleen | August 29, 2007 4:54 PM
Like your L2 and Vines strangle beans and pumpkins escape
Pedicured toenails have outgrown pink polish
Great sounds of defining features of the time.
Posted by: Pearl | August 31, 2007 11:31 AM
Yes, the withering of a once vibrant summer...sigh..
Posted by: Ruth | September 3, 2007 8:24 PM