This is one of my areas of focus and fascination. If I may, I had this poem published in Rise Up Review a little while ago. I think it answers the question. https://riseupreview.org/tresha-faye-haefner
Names So Generous
After Ross Gay,
for my hometown, Paradise, CA, burned to the ground in the Camp Fire of 2018
I want to tell you about the California daylily,
orange as any longing, soft as any childblessing,
the San Francisco garter snake, sliding
through moonbright milkweed,
a mother deer and her fawn, drawn
by the smell of sweet river rushing
through ponderosa pine and California oak,
vines of Concord grape climbing the fence.
I want to talk to you about the acorns,
fleshy and fresh inside shells
that had not cracked,
the bright hiss of forest floors,
where ground squirrels and stellar jays captured seeds.
I want to list for you the names
of incense cedar, Monterey cypress,
valley oak and western alder. I want
to tell you I lived
such a forested life, lost
in the imagination of a town at the foot
of the Sierra Nevada, climbing trees, swimming in pools,
attentive as a snow goose, spelling
out all the names of flowers so generous
they let me open among them.
California lilac, sky lupine, Indian paintbrush.
I don’t want to tell you I forgot them all
after I moved to Los Angeles. Until
the day the town burned down. Until I saw the image,
Jan that’s a beautiful but also sad letter… you won’t be surprised to hear I am half way through a letter which also speaks of that beautiful book The Lost Words, every time I pick it up I am speechless an the senseless reason for its publication… even after protests, they weren’t all replaced in the Oxford dictionary.
Let us all be loud! I can so no more in the subject of life lost and forgotten, on words lost and forgotten either…
Happy anniversary to you both, I hope your few days away helped with the healing of your shoulder xx
I will add this to my post now, your photos are beautiful as are the names of all these sweet gifts!
What beautiful, heartfelt words! Indeed, let us not pander to silencing. Silencing of the people, silencing of the Earth, silencing of our Oneness.
Some of the names I don't want to forget: gorse-furze-whin. All names for the same plant, an all present, unsuspecting dweller that lives right under our nose. Often regarded as nothing but a nuisance to pull out and remove - and to me it feels it's nothing but removing a tiny piece of our own spirit.
Can't believe how long the rib is taking but definitely good for my patience!
love gorse -- a friend who catered for one of the writing courses I led a few years ago decorated the plates with beautiful gorse from the local mountains (when I was in Snowdonia) and it's felt so special since
Truly inspirational, thank you Jan and I had only been writing about the names of flowers today.
Thank you Patiricia
The forest and coast did all the work :) The generosity of nature has so much to teach the human species.
This is one of my areas of focus and fascination. If I may, I had this poem published in Rise Up Review a little while ago. I think it answers the question. https://riseupreview.org/tresha-faye-haefner
Names So Generous
After Ross Gay,
for my hometown, Paradise, CA, burned to the ground in the Camp Fire of 2018
I want to tell you about the California daylily,
orange as any longing, soft as any childblessing,
the San Francisco garter snake, sliding
through moonbright milkweed,
a mother deer and her fawn, drawn
by the smell of sweet river rushing
through ponderosa pine and California oak,
vines of Concord grape climbing the fence.
I want to talk to you about the acorns,
fleshy and fresh inside shells
that had not cracked,
the bright hiss of forest floors,
where ground squirrels and stellar jays captured seeds.
I want to list for you the names
of incense cedar, Monterey cypress,
valley oak and western alder. I want
to tell you I lived
such a forested life, lost
in the imagination of a town at the foot
of the Sierra Nevada, climbing trees, swimming in pools,
attentive as a snow goose, spelling
out all the names of flowers so generous
they let me open among them.
California lilac, sky lupine, Indian paintbrush.
I don’t want to tell you I forgot them all
after I moved to Los Angeles. Until
the day the town burned down. Until I saw the image,
of a spotted fawn burning
in our old front yard.
A finch falling
from our old roof, choking
on its unfinished song.
This is beautiful Tresha -- love the use of precise details that give such a strong sense of place and specificity.
What a beautiful collection of flowers and names! Thank you for brightening my day, Jan.
Thank you Conny -- the energy of the Spring is so encouraging at this time of the year :)
Maybe I’ll do one for summer too! X
Jan that’s a beautiful but also sad letter… you won’t be surprised to hear I am half way through a letter which also speaks of that beautiful book The Lost Words, every time I pick it up I am speechless an the senseless reason for its publication… even after protests, they weren’t all replaced in the Oxford dictionary.
Let us all be loud! I can so no more in the subject of life lost and forgotten, on words lost and forgotten either…
Happy anniversary to you both, I hope your few days away helped with the healing of your shoulder xx
I will add this to my post now, your photos are beautiful as are the names of all these sweet gifts!
thank you Susie -- and huge thanks for your inspiration which got this post started x
What beautiful, heartfelt words! Indeed, let us not pander to silencing. Silencing of the people, silencing of the Earth, silencing of our Oneness.
Some of the names I don't want to forget: gorse-furze-whin. All names for the same plant, an all present, unsuspecting dweller that lives right under our nose. Often regarded as nothing but a nuisance to pull out and remove - and to me it feels it's nothing but removing a tiny piece of our own spirit.
P.S. I hope your rib is healing well.
Thank you so much Ramona
Can't believe how long the rib is taking but definitely good for my patience!
love gorse -- a friend who catered for one of the writing courses I led a few years ago decorated the plates with beautiful gorse from the local mountains (when I was in Snowdonia) and it's felt so special since