Note (Poem)

Today’s poem is written by our guest author, Tyler. This poem’s imagery completely envelops me, a mental vacation. I hope you can read this poem while sipping in some of the evening’s sunbeams.

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Note

by Tyler Mortensen-Hayes

• • •

—Have you noticed, friends, how amazing it is
that a sunflower contains itself inside
itself, like somebody you love but could never touch;
how it allows itself, come fall, to turn brown
& droop into nothing, though not before spitting
out the miraculous little clusters of sunlight
that have hardened into its seeds, spreading
over the damp garden where congregations of birds
& squirrels & my own two hands gobble them up,
filling with the nourishment of something that,
just weeks ago, did not even exist; & sometime later
all of those seeds—forgive me for mentioning it—
spill out & rejoin everything that remains uneaten
& buried, under leaves or wet earth, waiting the whole long
hazy winter until, clever things, they grow into sunflowers,
& how impossible to witness this again & again,
year after year, & to always take part, always eating
& growing from what rises so softly, so wordlessly,
from the earth, how lucky we are, dearest friends, to be here.

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Tyler is a poet, located in Salt Lake City, a bustling place known for its erratic climate and proximity to vast wildernesses. He once had a friend who told him, “You poets take the weather so personally!” in which Tyler thought–”Why yes, don’t you?”

Perhaps Tomorrow

Perhaps Tomorrow is a poem with intentionality laced within its contents. The paired photograph portrays an ethereal nostalgia; I truly believe the power of poetry and photography can bring forth emotion in such a unique way. Join me in welcoming Lou to the Introspective Collective guest author community, with this stunning work.

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Perhaps Tomorrow

By Lou Faber

• • •

Perhaps
tomorrow will be the day
when on stepping
out of bed
I will step out
of my body.
I will go into
the garden and pick
a chrysanthemum,
two daylilies, two 
or three Echinacea,
and odd bits
of reed and green.
I will take my ikebana dish
and stare at it
imagine each flower
just so, or so, or so.
Only when they
sing in harmony
do I place them
into the dish,
and step back
into my body.
I hear the garden
mourn the missing
blooms as I
remember my faded
childhood and walk
off toward noon.

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Louis Faber is a poet and retired attorney and college literature teacher, residing in Rochester, New York and Coconut Creek, Florida.  His work has previously appeared in Exquisite Corpse, Rattle, Cold Mountain Review, Eureka Literary Magazine, among many others, and has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize.  His book of poetry, The Right to Depart, was published by Plain View Press. He blogs daily at https://anoldwriter.com.

Photography is by Farrah Emami.

Northern Lights Over Yellowknife

Adrian Slonaker uses imagery and diction in a way that evokes an intimate experience with nature, particularly the Aurora Borealis. Reading this poem has me eager to plan a high-latitude excursion to catch this poetry play out in person. Let’s welcome Adrian and this beautiful piece to the Introspective Collective community + collection.

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Northern Lights Over Yellowknife

by Adrian Slonaker

• • •

Dazzling, zigzagging zests
of pearly-soft seafoam green, gracing
the homecoming of starlit blue-blackness
after its estival escape,
vibrating through shivery September air
over the delicious undulating dances of
the Great Slave Lake flirting with
defiantly rough noses, teeth and fingers of rock,
the pride of the Canadian Shield,
and more poplars and birches and willows than could be counted
in a score of tortoise's lifetimes.

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Zigzagging back and forth across the Canadian/US border, Adrian Slonaker works as a copywriter and copy editor and enjoys folk music, elderflower soda, spicy food challenges, wrestling and vintage suspense films. Adrian's work has been nominated for Best of the Net and has appeared in Pangolin Review, Aerodrome, and others.

Resisting the Tides

I’m so thrilled to welcome Juanita as a guest author on Introspective Collective. Resisting the Tides is a truly beautiful poem full of strength, courage, and encourages a state of mindfulness amidst turbulence.

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Resisting the Tides

by Juanita Rey

• • •

I’m sitting on a rock
and the tide is rolling in around me.
I’m separating from the land.
There’s nothing underfoot but water.

The waves slap on either side
like the fists of a wife-beater
but I determined to remain calm,
to not move from my tiny island.

I know it’s all the moon and sun’s doing.
All those gravitational forces
acting on a spinning globe.
But, when you’re actually sitting here,
with ocean swirling around you,
it feels much more personal than that.

The pounding doesn’t stop me thinking.
The spray can’t interfere with my reminiscing.
This is my sanctuary.
I think of home and family,
not drowning.

Eventually, the tide pulls out.
It’s met its match.
Other rocks appear now.
Maybe other women will join me.

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Juanita Rey is a Dominican poet who has been in this country (United States) for five years. Her work has been published in Pennsylvania English, Harbinger Asylum, Petrichor Machine and Porter Gulch Review.

Accompanying photograph is by Farrah Emami.

Waxing Crescent

Truly a soul of sunshine, I met Peyton online through connections that I can’t fully recall, but am incredibly thankful for. She is an astounding creative and connecter, and is reckless with encouragement–it spills out all sides solely from her existence. She’s currently working on her debut poetry collection, which I was incredibly tickled to find out this week. Her work and bright personality can be further explored through her Instagram.

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waxing crescent

by Peyton Elise

i haven’t seen the moon in three plus weeks,
my heart had nearly sunk. 
tonight when i saw that waxing crescent,
my soul felt so much luck. 
then i realized it wasn’t luck at all,
but a status i hoped would be met. 
now i’m full of grace and truth and light,
my longing - i crave at sunset.

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i live in colorado, where the mountains swoon me in and have been a huge part of this story of mine. i began sharing my writing a few years back when my heart felt more ache than it could handle - writing has been this sense of release for me ever sense, an escape for my feelings to make sense, and a connecting piece in so many ways! writing is now a ministry for me and i am making my way toward self publishing this year - all for love, with love, and because of love.

Strongholds

Marya Layth is an author I stumbled upon through an acquaintance. She is the author of More Than Bread, stunning poetry collection that I acquired through a free Kindle promotion, and then promptly ordered a paperback for both me and my sister. She is a creative of several mediums, words being one, but also illustrations. With a myriad of talents, we welcome Marya Layth to share her beautiful words that will be included in her upcoming poetry collection, releasing 2019, Hadal and the Daystar.

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Strongholds

by marya layth

Hail Marys rain from my mouth
as I write about the storm
I was born to bear.

It drowns the parts of me
still learning
how to swim.

So, I hold on to this poetry like driftwood,
because it is stronger than I will ever be

and carries this twin tempest with a grace
I always seem to just fall short of.

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Marya Layth is a writer and artist driven by the desire to fill empty spaces with meaning—an obsession that leads her to the blank page and canvas time and time again. Marya has found refuge and strength in creativity since childhood; using it as a means to combat chaos and a tool to express the power of love.

Her words can be found on her Instagram, with her art soon to be accessible through her environmentally-friendly shop, The Poetic Forest.