Green
By Shirley Robertson
A book of short verse and haiku
Copyright 2011 Shirley Robertson
Smashwords Edition
This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person that you share it with. Thankyou for respecting the hard work of this author.
This book is dedicated to Columbia Bottoms Conservation Area, Spanish Lake, Missouri, Blue Puppy Robertson and Ron Robertson, Sr.
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On the Cover:
Iris Blossoms
tissue paper
in lavender
iris blossoms
The Sandbar
We went one day to see the river winding
Walking for miles, looking and then finding
A sand bar which could be seen far away
And growing closer, beckoned us to stay
For it looked just like a swimming beach to us
With fine-grained sand and driftwood and such
The main channel of the river flowed by it on both sides
It took the mighty Missouri River long and wide
To hold such a lovely piece of land
And still have room for barges on the other hand
The sun sparkled off the sand as a crane touched down
The ground too hot to touch was what he found
He took off again as we got closer still
The only thing between us and the sand, a hill
Then we saw something we had not seen before
Washed up purposely, it seemed, onto the shore
We looked and looked again for it didn't seem right
For two wooden deck chairs to have drifted into sight
They sat next to one another on the sand bar giving
The appearance that this uninhabited island once held living
Beings who had long since moved away
Leaving chairs where they once stayed
But from our point of view up on the cliff
We couldn't tell if they were really chairs or drift
Wood that just came to rest in pairs
To make us wonder if someone had put it there
October
October chill
summer so soon gone
hot cider
The Turkey
a turkey crosses the path
to join his flock in the woods
strolling casually
resembling
ladies walking home from church
on a Sunday
no hurry
taking their time
Leaves Catch
leaves
blowing in the wind
catch on the gate
Roadside Picnic
picnic along a wild wood trail
thorns sting the ankles
a tick grabs its next meal
a stone marks the place where she lay
150 years, quiet and undiscovered
watermelon drips
baby's breath grows alongside
Hug a Tree
matronly tree
holding her many arms out
wide to embrace
all her children
and those she doesn't
know
for all the world's related
and her arms look so
inviting
like a hug
a tree
Under the Elm
quiet thoughts
under the elm
sways breezy
owl hoots
company keeps me
under the elm
stays busy
rodents feed me
under the elm
lady, lady
seems crazy
under the elm
River Path
walk down the river path
gather twigs and leaves
too early yet for flowers
not so for trees
leaves like patches on silk
mud the color of chocolate milk
cool the chill still in the air
come with me, I'll take you there
Bogs
muddy, slopey, marshy bogs
dead vegetation, moss on logs
rainy, sleety, icy winds
blossoms, buds, insects on limbs
winter begins what finishes spring
beauty's continuance is the thing
Sun on my Face
the feel of
the sun on my face
early morning
Thunder
dark
the rumble of thunder
day breaks
Dragonflies
a fleet of tiny helicopters
dragonflies
hover in the grassy clearing
Puddles
splash in puddles
muddy and delicious
teem with life
Weeping Willow
rest your head
on your paws
a willow weeps
The Butterfly
be who you are
the butterfly
alights on the stem
The Rainbow
a hard rain
with distant thunder
followed by a rainbow
Wild Strawberries
the rains recede
part the weeds
strawberries are growing
The Horse
next to the interstate
a horse stands next to a tree
unnoticed
Sun Shadows
sun shadows
interplay of light
on gray walls
Stillness
stillness
silence breaks
tornadic
The Pond
raindrops dance
the pond
swallows them whole
The Egret
Egret tiptoes
On sneaky feet
Peeking in the water
Pretending to look elsewhere
Quick in
Quick out
Missouri Sunrise
Clouds fold
To gather in mourning
A hushed stillness
Attends the wake
Between the clouds
A candle
Held upside down
Dripping hot wax
Warms the earth
Until
The flame ignites
Into colors
Sparks of kindling
Flash the sky
Waking the spirit
Follow the light, the light
Celebration of a life
Gulls and Doves
On overnight excursions
Into nature's deepest coves
When the only others are
Gulls, deer, coyote, and doves
When the only sound of night
Goes cheep, cheep, cheep
And the chorus sings and sings
Until I fall asleep
When the only blossoms are
Wild, random, and free
When the finch and the sparrow
Are calling out to me
That's when I know
I'm serenely in my place
Among the highest evolved
Of the natural race
The Storm
The storm writes on the wind
Rhymes lightning with the rain
Freely expresses its thunder
Drops
hail in iambic pentameter
Sends
floods down the page in sestinas
Scrawls sonnets in fresh summer rain
Snowflakes
The snow is falling
Like frozen spider webs
Spinning down from Heaven
The River Crests
as she dips
beneath the bath water
somewhere, a river crests
I wish I were a Tree
I wish I were a tree
with nothing to do
but sway in the wind
and lend my leaves to the ground
and canopy the forest
with my protective beauty
greening up the atmosphere
chlorophylling the air
borrowing from the sun and the rain
growing as tall as the sky
roots burrowing as deep as the world
a permanent fixture on God's green earth
Country Wind
The country wind blows
through her auburn hair
The daisies grow wild
under feet that are bare
The water splashes
in the fishing pond
The apples smell sweet
from the orchard beyond
Sunbeams sail across
butterfly-filled skies
So beautiful, it brings
a tear to her eyes
The Owl
Crescendo on second syllable hollow
Hoo Hoo Hooo
The Tiger Lily
the tiger lily
striped like the cat
sprouts from a jungle of grass
Rae
My grandma's name was Rae
Like sunshine in the window
A warm place
Rain
Drip drop
Plip, plop
Misty spray on the way,
Powerful showers for hours
Light strike, thunder kite,
Rain slides, glides, shoves aside
Sea of water, Neptune's daughter,
Torrential, differential, sheets,
Slides, blinds, subsides
Puddle
Splatter
Shake
Birdwatchers
binocular-clad birdwatchers
walk a moss-covered trail
under overcast skies
February Thaw
warm
February thaw
snow flurries tomorrow
Dried Herbs
the river path winds quietly except for birds' flutter
nary a sound, nary a mutter
dead brown leaves is what you see
I see dried herbs in a vase for me
The Little Boy and the Fish
the little boy went to the lake one day
caught some little fishes but the big one got away
mom called him in for lunch at noon
not yet, he said, I'll be home soon
when his bait ran out he started using meat
when that didn't work he dangled in his feet
a big white catfish grabbed the boy's toe
pulled and yanked as far as it could go
boy found himself in the middle of the lake
boy held on but it was more than he could take
with one final squeeze he let go of that fin
and the fish took off with a wide toothy grin
the fish swam circles around the little boy
the boy got mad. "I'm not your bathtub toy!
I came out to conquer and I won't leave till I'm through.
I'm taking you for supper - I'll take care of you!"
the boy pulled the fish out with just one hand
he took him home and threw him in the frying pan
the family sat around the table after they'd ate
"What a big fish you caught. It was worth the wait!"
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