It could be the end of winter, a certain sleepiness, I don’t know. But already, this day, this extra leap day, and still I haven’t written anything for Substack this February. Today is Day 309 of our Poem a Day Project. Here is my favourite poem from the month:
I Could Have Raked All Night, But I Didn’t
The first time I heard Martha Wainright’s song
Bloody Mother Fucking Asshole, it was
late autumn. I was raking the hillside
uncovering the red maple, hidden
by the season’s end, spacious enough to
read under, come spring. The air was cool, the
sky was darkening. I was slowing down
when the song came on. Over and over the song,
louder and louder I sang, feeling the
slant of the terrain, strength in my arms,
and warmth in my body returning with
that other – the lift of lyric and voice,
the repetition that feathers arms and
makes wings. I was hovering when the song
was severed. Cusses mingled with plant dust –
I could have raked all night, but I didn’t.
24 February 2024 | Day 304
A revisiting after Katie’s feedback
I am feeling a little surge of something along with the snowdrops and daffodil tops. I spent a lot of today tidying up Pond Island, awaiting our goose couple Toots and Yedda who are also late. I am slightly concerned, but they often return after I’ve lessened the overgrowth on their ravaged part-time-home. There was so much Knotweed and Day Lily on it this year. I’m still digging.
, who has joined me in the Poem a Day project, challenged me to a villanelle picture book. I adore this and started to write one about Toots and Yedda. I’ve been documenting their visits now for five years!I don’t know if Substack is a place for such nothing posts, but here it is. Just a thing to get me to keep going. Also, hello,
Loved this “nothing post”! Absolutely perfect! Made me immediately want to just draw little snippets of what I’ve been up to. Your sketching is so lovely, and your poem. And i bloody mother fucking love that song too!!
I wonder if nature appreciates your energy as much I as your writing.
"I Could Have Raked All Night, But Didn't" is now my favorite but I'll leave room for it's replacement.
Have Toots & Yedda arrived yet?
Also, hello.....