It's Poetry Friday, and Patricia J. Franz is hosting on her website, Reverie, here! Be sure to visit to read her wonderful words about summer! And visit all the other Poetry Friday writers! Thanks for hosting, Patricia!
SPECIAL NOTE: Still wishing all of you a lovely holiday weekend! I guess blogger commenting is back!
We ended August saying goodbye to so many people, great people, and you may know more than those I am thinking of: Dolly Parton, Tim Curry, Yayoi Kusama, and just yesterday, Gloria Steinem! Among these, today I'm also remembering the poet, Wendell Berry! Of his poems, many know "The Peace of Wild Things", comforting all when feelings are low: "When despair for the world grows in me.. ."
I've also read some about him as a farmer, living all over the world, yet eventually he ended up a farmer in what he named Lane's Landing, in Kentucky. I've been to Kentucky numerous times because my grandson went to college there. It is beautiful land, one I'm not surprised Berry fell in love with.
Though I've been in Colorado for a long time, I grew up in Missouri, with two grandfathers who were farmers. They, too, had gorgeous land, and when Joan Rush McCullough shared Shirley Thacker's recent Farmku, illustrated by Clara Elffers, I snatched it right away!
With those briefest of words, Shirley's haikus bring scenes depicting my own memories, then Clara brings them to life with her special print-making. Warm colors bring warm feelings on every page. Yes, I rode with a grandfather to gather the cattle each evening, gathered eggs from fussy hens, and learned to bottle-feed tiny lambs born a bit too soon. Here's a glimpse from the book!
I am remembering, too, that today is the anniversary of my husband, Arvie's, passing. It's been thirteen years, and every day, something brings him to me.
Poetry's the gift we all love, right? In their own spectacular ways, Shirley and Clara in their book, Dolly in her songs, Tim in his voices, Yayoi in her paintings, Gloria in her strong voice, and Wendell in his words, all have given us poetry.
Hope you get to find and enjoy Farmku!
16 comments:
"So much Remembering" is a wonderful title for your tender post, and a lovely tribute to your late husband, Arvie. I am definitely putting "Farmku" on my reading list! Thank you, Linda!!!
I think our posts are cousins -- holding both joy and sorrow together.
Now I can thank you, Mona, for your sweet comment! Hope you enjoy Farmku!
Yes, you're right, Mary Lee. And, it's life that's true when full of both!
Linda, thank you for this, for the memorial to these lost souls. Yes, it has been a week, hasn't it? I have been reading and listening to the works (poetry) of all those who lost their lives this week. I just ordered a Wendell Berry poetry book for my son-in-law's upcoming birthday. He did important work. Farmku sounds delightful. Thanks for sharing a page and your own sweet farm memories.
That was easy today. I wonder what it was about yesterday!
Thanks, that's lovely to order the book for your son-in-law, Denise. It seems to me that everyone would enjoy Berry's poems.
It was crazy, wasn't it? It must have been a Google glitch! But, we'll probably never know.
Oh, Linda, yes to so much remembering, and especially to your special memories of Arvie. xo
Thanks, Karen, I do keep him close!
Linda, I'm so glad you bought Shirley's book. It's such a gem.
Thank you for you sweet comments about Farmku. Clara' illustrations are beautiful❤️
And, I'm so glad you recommended it, Jone. I didn't mention it, but also got 'Tilt' & am loving it!
Thanks, I do agree!
Linda, FarmKu looks so inviting! Thank you for sharing and wishing you comfort and peace as you remember your husband.
Thank you, Jill, for the kind comment!
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