To A Kentucky Earthworm
Taste of dirt and the everpressing dark–
the worm’s long body is a tongue
underground. It sings
one hundred thousand secret songs
you and I will never hear: alone,
not lonely, in the loaming.
underground. It sings
one hundred thousand secret songs
you and I will never hear: alone,
not lonely, in the loaming.
Some nights, the worm arises from soil
in a thankful wash of the moon.
Its ringed body makes an arc–
fades again into the stillgrass.
36 thoughts on "To A Kentucky Earthworm"
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Yummy. Nice to read your words again.
Thank you, Coleman! I’m enjoying reading your poems.
Love it. How many people find the poetry in earthworms? You do, sir. You do 🙂
I try, though I confess I -have to try- to like them :p Thanks, Kevin!
Great imagery and unusual subject!
Thank you, Linda!
“alone…in the loaming”: exquisite ode
Thank you, Dr. Bedetti! A worm is no grecian urn but we try! :p
I really enjoy the imagery of this poem and the hidden world it reveals. “Alone, not lonely” is my favorite aspect of the poem as it suggests solitude and contentment. GREAT WRITE!
Thank you! I definitely love exploring the comfort in aloneness lately!
Very well-crafted poem! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Nancy!
I was just admiring the earthworms while digging in my garden today – I wonder if they know how necessary they are!
‘a tongue
underground. It sings’
love it!
I’d hope they know. I was reading somewhere that a farmer (or gardener)’s most important livestock is in their soil. Thanks, Debbie!
feels like a prelude of/for
something epic
yet to come..
Thanks, dustin! I hope it’s an epic lexpomo!
the worm’s long body is a tongue/ underground – fantastic image
Thank you, Liz!
Love the image of “everpressing dark” & the worm as tongue that sings secret songs & “a thankful wash of the moon.”
The repeated long “o” sound in “alone, /not lonely, in the loaming” was beautiful.
Such a rich, lyerical poem! So good to be reading your poems again.
Thank you, Karen! It’s good to be reading yours as well!
so many good sounds and lines here. really lovely.
Thank you, Jasmine!
The poetic life of earthworms! Like the idea of them in the moon’s “wash” of light. Lovely, Shaun.
Thank you! I love that idea, of worms having a poetic life.
Glad to read your words again.
Especially love:
sings
one hundred thousand secret songs
Thanks so much, Pam!
Beautiful description and work, Shaun. Love the music of this.
Thank you, Bill!
You have a lovely Mary Oliver-esk way of making us feel welcomed in Kentucky nature. Love it!
Wow, thank you, Sam! I used to hate a worm so I am trying to move past it a little bit here :p
Wow! I love the tone of this one, and the seductive sounds.
Glad I got to meet you last night!
Gad I got to meet you and hear you read, Ellen! Thank you for your kind words!
Your worms remind me of going out in new mown grass after a rain and sneaking up on night crawlers for fish bait.
thanks…
Thank you for sharingthis memory! It’s been a few years since I’ve done that–we used to keep them in an old Folgers tin.
Oh my stars–this is so lovely, so amazing! Esp. like “the worm’s long body is a tongue underground” & “alone,
not lonely, in the loaming.” My favorite part, though, is “Some nights, the worm arises from soil in a thankful wash of the moon.” So rich, so vivid.
Thank you so much, Taunja!