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Clouds
by
Richard Greene


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Over the high ridge
clouds blossom
from an emptiness  
of flame-blue sky,
blossom and vanish
and blossom and vanish again
in a display
of planetary
prestidigitation.


© by Richard Greene.
Used with the author's permission.



Richard Greene began writing poetry in the 8th grade, inspired by the opening lines of Longfellow's “Evangeline”—“This is the forest primeval. The murmuring pines and the hemlocks / Bearded in moss and in garments green, indistinct in the twilight"—which he was required to read in class. In college, after a classmate deemed Richard’s rhyming poem “trite,” he stopped writing until, a couple of years later, a class with Henry Rago, subsequently editor of Poetry magazine, inspired him to resume his efforts. But poetry fell by the wayside for almost forty years as a busy career in international development consumed his life. As retirement approached, however, Richard’s dedication to poetry returned; he has since published three chapbooks: The Broken Guitar: Poems of War; Becoming Old: Poems of Aging; Painting with Words: Landscapes in Verse; and one full -length collection, To Talk of Many Things: Selected Poems. Richard, who lives in Nyack, New York, shares a "poem of the week" with anyone interested; get on his mailing list by requesting it at greeneplace@gmail.com.

              

 


Post New Comment:
Anastasia:
"planetary prestidigitation" is a perfect description!
Posted 08/06/2021 08:57 PM
Judy:
Beautiful poem, Richard. I have seen this scene many, many times as I am a cloud watcher, too!
Posted 07/23/2021 03:34 PM
Lori Levy:
I also liked the "flame-blue sky" image and the clouds blossoming.
Posted 07/23/2021 01:21 PM
cork:
"Prestidigitation" is tripling on my tongue.
Posted 07/23/2021 09:08 AM
Rob:
Love the "flame-blue" image (usually people use red or yellow for a flame connection--blue was unique--and true!) and "planetary prestidigitation" --both a fun phrase to say and a great way to think about clouds!
Posted 07/23/2021 06:21 AM


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