The Garden at Satori
Mid-August
Hummingbirds with rapid wings
visit flowers more frequently
then slip quickly away
to find new blossoms
as they bank calories
for the migration south.
A list of fall vegetables
appears at the farm stand:
butternut squash, cabbages,
and soon the pumpkins
next to the sweet corn.
The long hours of light
are slowly fading away
as summer moves
toward its final days.
Lainie Senechal
Morning Visitor
Summer on the Balcony
The morning is greeted
with notes of bird songs
from the green-leaved forest
and sparkles on silver ripples
in rays of the rising sun.
The jeweled-feathered hummingbird
appears on its daily rounds
to visit flowers on the balcony rail
and to search for small spiders
in webs of thin, silk threads
that were spun in the night.
The nesting time is almost over,
as summer moves forward
the juveniles will fledge
and soon be gone.
Lainie Senechal
Announcement: On Sunday, August 13th, Lainie will exhibit her paintings in the Satori “Art in Nature” show and sale at the Satori Center in Marlow, NH.
The River After Rain
Summer Rain Along the Contoocook
With torrents of steady rain
the Contoocook has escaped
its banks, covered walks,
and trapped the reeds
in green isles where
they rustle in the current.
Frogs in the nearby swamp
are suddenly sleepless.
Their raspy croaks continue
uninterrupted through the night.
The humid haze of morning
hangs heavy in the air.
Thoughts of cooler days occur,
but this is high summer,
which we will long for
in winter’s frigid cold.
Lainie Senechal
August Bouquet
Mid -August
The coming storm,
trumpeting like an elephant,
will sweep away
heat and humidity,
water thirsty plants,
and make room for
more pleasant days.
The cicada, summer’s bug,
will hum in the trees
and Black-eyed Susans
will decorate the hills.
Lainie Senechal
Blue Hydrangea
Mid-July
Pulse of July’s languid hours:
blueberries ripening to deep purple,
lilies aligned in colorful arrays.
Ivory egrets, with graceful steps,
scout among green marsh grasses
that bend in warmer winds.
Heat and humidity have arrived;
energy is lost to move one muscle.
When winter’s blast whitens land
regrets will arise for passing
of these fair summer days.
Lainie Senechal
Dahlias in a Green Vase
Near Summer’s End
Morning mist leaves the meadow,
as the rising sun creates
rainbow arcs in the fog.
A humid day concludes
in storms which sprinkle
the dry earth – a gift
from the clouds above.
At night, cooler air
reminds us that summer’s
end is nearly in sight.
Lainie Senechal
Pink Peonies
July’s Journey
July progresses, not quickly,
but with long, languid days
of hot, sweaty weather.
The pick of summer
for those that smile
at the sun’s strongest hours.
A smooth ride through a season
when the cornucopia opens
to provide juicy blueberries,
fresh dug new potatoes
and many ears of sweet corn.
Lainie Senechal
Tanabata Stars
Tanabata Stars*
Beyond the Summer Solstice,
on a calm evening, the stars
seem to blossom in the heavens,
accompanied by planets,
with their slowly turning moons,
and exploding supernovas
that surprise even the astronomers.
The lovely star, Vega, appears
with her bright partner, Altair,
forming two points
of the Summer Triangle
and spinning myths that
weave through the ages.
Lainie Senechal
Announcement: Lainie will exhibit paintings and read poetry on July 6th at the Tanabata Festival at the Kaji Aso Studio, Boston, MA, 7-9pm. Free and open to the public.
*Tanabata is a Japanese Festival based on a legend that includes the stars Vega and Altair.
August Bouquet
Summer Moves On (an ovillejo)
Black-eyed Susan puts on a show,
summers go –
cicadas sing season’s song,
time moves on.
Corn grows sturdy and so tall,
soon comes fall.
Languid days that to us call,
August hours that give great joy,
but these moments are quite coy –
summers go, time moves on, soon comes fall.
Lainie Senechal
The ovillejo, which means ” tight little ball of twine”, is an old Spanish poetry form. I learned the form from Rhina Espaillat.
Seckel Pears
Summer’s Bounty
Bees float over lawn,
search for a spot
with small white clover.
Goldfinch’s yellow feathers
flash in large catmint
where it sits like a queen
on top of stalk to feast
on plant’s tiny seeds.
In the heart of summer
each creature secures
sustenance from the bounty
this season brings.
Lainie Senechal