More, by James Crews
I know it’s summer when we wade out
into the field and pick these crisp wonders,
tiny cucumbers bleached of their green
as if they’ve already seen too much
of this dazzling light, and can take no more.
We eat them sprinkled with salt and pepper,
as their name suggests, crunching through
flesh so sweet it’s like that of a melon.
I’ve never seen them for sale in grocery stores,
but they grow here in this soil out of which
my husband could coax almost anything
with his sure touch and sharp attention.
He snaps them from stems with flowers still
shriveled at the ends, then hands them to me
like the gifts they are, and I take each one
into the bowl of my hands, a wandering monk
finally at home among rolling mountains
swaddled in trees, and stones heaved up
as round as eggs from sandy loam. So much
already alive between us, so many blessings
threading our days like the gold of sun,
yet here I stand, holding this bounty,
begging for more.
From Bluebird, Green Writers Press, 2020.
What do you think about the poem?
Poem Prompts inspired by More
Write about a food that’s treasure for you
Write about a loved one who is a gardener in your life
Read the poem aloud, and without any plan, dive into your own poem focusing only on its music.
My poem, published this week in Poetry Breakfast ~
Daughter’s Housekeeping
To polish my family tree
and scrub sorrow from sunrise,
I vacuum the depths of
winter, a damp grief that somehow
smells sweet.
My mother’s life, a cross-stitched
handkerchief, whisky-soaked and
gray; her cobwebs I repeatedly
wipe away with vinegar and salt.
To polish bones into lemon shine
only casts light; in every dark chamber
my mother’s pain, a candle-lit
table, an empty kitchen at night.
Her mind left port years ago,
flailing through incessant
storms. On clear days I see
a dot on the horizon–
unrecognizable across
misty currents. Salt-air
burns, purifies and
the pain, bright as sun.
Copyright © 2024 by Jennifer Mills Kerr
If you have a recently published poem, I’d be happy to share it here. Reach out so we can celebrate your work!
Cool Resource for Poets ~
I discovered James Crews wonderful poem through the Gwarlingo site’s The Sunday Poem column. Such a wonderful curation of poetry is available there.
Upcoming Workshops with Jennifer ~
Monthly Poetry Reading Group ~ Good conversations about nature poetry
Poetry-Inspired Generative Writing ~ Poem prompts for creativity & connection
Critique Group in September ~ Deepen your skills & practice