The Cicadas Are Quiet Today
End of May while a soft rain gently soaks
fertile ground & new tender leaves of oaks.
Meanwhile, candles on the Virgina Pines
continue to grow bright green with wet shine.
Basal sprouts on maples are trimmed in time.
This is end of May while soft rain soaks.
To the weather, all workings must align
the wind dances over my plastic cloak,
fertile ground & new tender leaves of oaks.
With walking trails muddy wet & quick limed
young cedars in the pathway pull out fine.
End of May while a soft rain gently soaks.
The wagon of logs sinks down to the spokes
so we shelter together wet lunch, wine,
fertile ground & new tender leaves of oaks.
They draw my attention, candles on pines
its been wet, a foot taller, new treeline.
This is end of May while a soft rain soaks
fertile ground & new tender leaves of oaks.
25 thoughts on "The Cicadas Are Quiet Today"
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YES…where’d they go though?
My guess is they get quiet when it rains. Well, quieter anyway 😀
I love the “plastic cloak” line. Such a cool way to describe rain jackets.
A villanelle! Truly spectacular..
I too enjoyed the villanelle structure in this poem!
lovely: “The wagon of logs sinks down to the spokes
so we shelter together wet lunch, wine,
fertile ground & new tender leaves of oaks.”
“To the weather, all workings must align” …. gorgeous! Coleman, you have the eye and ear.
Get outta here, Coleman! Where did you get this mastery of the villanelle? I mean really. You never cease to amaze me.
It’s a classic villanelle — no fudging. I’ve never done that!
It took all night but the nice thing about forms is that it unleahes some kind of creativity that is way above my paygrade 😀
It seemed effortless and smooth. I love the space created when pushing the boundaries!
The rain out-drums them, I suppose?
What a beautiful poem. You walk us through the quiet masterfully.
It’s somehow comforting for me to read a villanelle with all that rhyme and repetition among so much free verse. Thank you!
I admire your use of form here. It’s such a subtle poem, easy to read, calming, and while you expect a least a reference, not one word about those blasted cicadas. Good job.
Yes 😀 they are there but silent.
Thank you!!!
The visual – candles on pines – just fantastic.
Yes, candles on pine.
The form works so well in tandem with the beautiful lines.
Exquisite.
Yes to:
To the weather, all workings must align
Love the play with subtle repetitions mixed throughout. Lovely. Felt as if I could smell all the workings aligning 🙂
beautiful brother
So tender and lovely. Bravo!
The poem’s structure mirrors nature’s cycles: the repeating lines fall like rain and permeate the piece.
Beautiful villanelle that showcases your love for the trees.
Love how excellently you’ve tackled & mastered this form, which i always enjoy, but its music has a kind of cosmic math music, which i can’t seem to master yet. Superby done!