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"I am for those who walk abreast with the whole earth..."
~Walt Whitman
Tall green weeds grow along a section
Of fence that divides our lot from the
Neighbor’s place to the north
I had considered removing them
But didn’t
They offer delicate
Pink flowers that
Bumblebees like
One morning as my neighbor and I chatted
Over the fence about our wives, work,
Kids, and the state of
World affairs
A hummingbird arrived and began
Taking nectar from the weeds’ flowers
Hovering motionless
Less than an arm’s length away
Illuminated by crisp
Summer-morning light
The creature dazzled- a brilliant
Glistening emerald
The moment silenced us
An incredible gift of beauty
What was it that
I’d thought of those plants?
© by David M. Tookey.
Used here with the author's permission.
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David M. Tookey lives in Seattle, Washington, where he is an elementary school teacher. A bicycle is his main mode of transport around town; David says he finds he can tinker with poems in his head as he rides. He also enjoys baking bread and, after exploring colleges with his daughter recently, he is filled with hope after seeing and interacting with so many terrific young people.
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Wilda Morris:
Thank you for sharing this tender moment.
Posted 06/22/2020 11:21 PM
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jmilfordtv:
It is amazing what we notice when we begin to see.
Posted 06/22/2020 07:40 PM
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Jancan:
Lovely poem about nature's power to draw people together
Posted 06/22/2020 05:48 PM
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Tracers645:
Nice poem - thank you for sharing!
Posted 06/22/2020 03:42 PM
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Lori Levy:
Beautiful moment. We have weeds with purple flowers in our yard.
Posted 06/22/2020 02:54 PM
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Anastasia:
Our back yard is what I call "casual feral". So many plants I don't recognize have appeared (perhaps lurking in the soil, just waiting?), and it's a lovely, unstyled conglomeration of flora. We're seeing more butterflies and hummingbirds, and the snails seem pleased with the new variety for their buffet. Most of the plants are probably "weeds", but they're pretty, and the residents (human and otherwise) are happy.
Posted 06/22/2020 01:25 PM
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CamilleBalla:
So special that both of you noticed ?that moment?,
shared silence in that moment break from your neighborly chat?and wrote about the moment to share with us in this moment. And more of us will read it and perhaps take a moment today to notice something happening in the moment in our world.
Posted 06/22/2020 11:22 AM
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Jean Colonomos-1:
Masterful how your words accumulate to end in a question. That in itself is a flower.
Posted 06/22/2020 11:12 AM
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michael escoubas:
I think it is so important that, given everything that is happening in our country at this moment, we not lose sight of the unobtrusive beauty that surrounds us. David's poem is a "moment's" salvation. Thank you David!
Posted 06/22/2020 09:16 AM
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Sharon Waller Knutson:
Beautiful poem. Out in the desert, the flowers blooming are all wild and beautiful and colorful. Lavender, blue, orange, red and yellow flowers line the road and then the red, magenta, orange and white flowers bloom on the cactus. The Saguaros don white Easter bonnets in April.
Posted 06/22/2020 08:13 AM
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Larry Schug:
Weeds, no such thing.
Posted 06/22/2020 07:30 AM
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