Behind repetitive, recessive rows of almond trees, radiance stutters: an open phoneme that won’t close. It flickers to the west, while lateral gutters
of long shadow interrupt its strobe. The orchard’s shadows diagraph the road and flare across to dust and scrub. My inarticulable thoughts are there:
fleeing, opaque, colliding with the sound of glare.
*****
Isabel Chenot writes: ” I like to let the words speak for themselves as much as possible.”
‘driving by an Orchard, late October’ was originally published in Pulsebeat Poetry Journal.
Isabel Chenot has loved, memorized, and practiced poetry all her remembered life. Some of her poems are collected in The Joseph Tree, available from Wiseblood Books.
A verysensible story full of very, very, very, very, very good advice
Always carry crumbs when you are wandering in the woods beside the waters – just in case
you need to mark a trail, like in a fairy tale.
And always have a piece of tape in case a butterfly breaks off its wing while fluttering,
and always take a pitchfork just in case a cow is also wandering.
And always carry
extra food
like
roasted beef
or chicken legs
for escaped
crocodiles,
because they like to gnaw on legs,
and always take a mongoose
to defeat the snakes,
and always take a violin
for when
the birds are stuttering.
And always carry
party hats
and birthday cake
for any sons and daughters
of destitute woodcutters
who might be having
lonely
birthdays,
and always carry
an umbrella
because –
you know why.
An elephant might fall out of the sky.
And always take a shovel
just in case
it rains –
so you can dig a little hovel
and stay dry,
and always take a potted plant
to brighten up that cozy space,
and always take a duck
in case
of lakes,
and always
carry otters.
*****
Isabel Chenot writes: “This was originally written and illustrated as a letter to the most magical six year old girl.”
‘What To Take For A Walk In The Woods’ was first published in Story Warren.
Isabel Chenot‘s first poem as a little girl was about marrying her cat Tig when she grew up: she married a good man instead, but kept scribbling poems and stories. The Joseph Tree, a collection of poems, is available from Wiseblood. For a preview of West of Moonlight, East of Dawn, her retelling of an old fairy tale, visit westofmoonlight.art.
Isabel Chenot has loved and practiced poetry for as long as she can remember. Her poems have been published in Shotglass and other places, and some of them are collected in The Joseph Tree, available from Wiseblood books.
