Transformation (pantoum-a poetic form)
Mere months after the monstrous fire,
scorched canyons become a green new world
as resilient life begins to emerge
out of a barren and ashen landscape
Scorched canyons become a green new world
as leafy shoots sprout from blackened tree trunks.
Out of a barren and ashen landscape,
native plants and wildlife begin to appear.
As leafy shoots sprout from blackened tree trunks,
colors and sounds emerge from desolation.
Native plants and wildlife begin to appear
in new sunlit spaces where dark forests once stood.
Colors and sounds emerge from desolation,
blossoms of wild mustard and gumweed grow
in new sunlit spaces where dark forests once stood,
while acorn woodpeckers hammer burnt trees for beetles.
Blossoms of wild mustard and gumweed grow
near paintbrush, lupine, and wild California lilac.
While acorn woodpeckers hammer burnt trees for beetles,
an occasional lazuli bunting flashes blue through the air.
Near paintbrush, lupine, and wild California lilac,
there are animal prints, once again, in the muddy soil.
An occasional lazuli bunting flashes blue through the air
over hillsides where mule deer, foxes, and bobcats forage.
There are animal prints, once again, in the muddy soil,
as resilient life begins to emerge
over hillsides where mule deer, foxes, and bobcats forage
mere months after the monstrous fire
Autumn Burning
In November,
Sierra Nevada forests
celebrate the end of fire season
with a conflagration of color;
burnt orange, blazing red,
incandescent yellow leaves
flare and flash,
an explosion of brilliance
against a backdrop of evergreens,
a showy performance
for an intimate audience
now that summer crowds have vanished.
The paved path through the meadow
leads to a bridge
over water that trickles
around exposed granite boulders,
no longer a deafening roar.
During this annual interlude
there is a stillness;
a quiet breeze
floats a kaleidoscope of bright leaves
that swirl, fall,
crunch beneath our feet,
turn to ashes.
A retired language arts teacher, Nancy Haskett’s work has been seen in more than 40 publications. She is currently the poetry editor for the National League of American Penwomen. A collection of her poems, Shadows & Reflections, is now available on Amazon. She lives in Modesto, CA with her husband and extended family.
Mere months after the monstrous fire,
scorched canyons become a green new world
as resilient life begins to emerge
out of a barren and ashen landscape
Scorched canyons become a green new world
as leafy shoots sprout from blackened tree trunks.
Out of a barren and ashen landscape,
native plants and wildlife begin to appear.
As leafy shoots sprout from blackened tree trunks,
colors and sounds emerge from desolation.
Native plants and wildlife begin to appear
in new sunlit spaces where dark forests once stood.
Colors and sounds emerge from desolation,
blossoms of wild mustard and gumweed grow
in new sunlit spaces where dark forests once stood,
while acorn woodpeckers hammer burnt trees for beetles.
Blossoms of wild mustard and gumweed grow
near paintbrush, lupine, and wild California lilac.
While acorn woodpeckers hammer burnt trees for beetles,
an occasional lazuli bunting flashes blue through the air.
Near paintbrush, lupine, and wild California lilac,
there are animal prints, once again, in the muddy soil.
An occasional lazuli bunting flashes blue through the air
over hillsides where mule deer, foxes, and bobcats forage.
There are animal prints, once again, in the muddy soil,
as resilient life begins to emerge
over hillsides where mule deer, foxes, and bobcats forage
mere months after the monstrous fire
Autumn Burning
In November,
Sierra Nevada forests
celebrate the end of fire season
with a conflagration of color;
burnt orange, blazing red,
incandescent yellow leaves
flare and flash,
an explosion of brilliance
against a backdrop of evergreens,
a showy performance
for an intimate audience
now that summer crowds have vanished.
The paved path through the meadow
leads to a bridge
over water that trickles
around exposed granite boulders,
no longer a deafening roar.
During this annual interlude
there is a stillness;
a quiet breeze
floats a kaleidoscope of bright leaves
that swirl, fall,
crunch beneath our feet,
turn to ashes.
A retired language arts teacher, Nancy Haskett’s work has been seen in more than 40 publications. She is currently the poetry editor for the National League of American Penwomen. A collection of her poems, Shadows & Reflections, is now available on Amazon. She lives in Modesto, CA with her husband and extended family.
