Poetic Bloomings, scene of my scandalously honest interview with the ever-gracious Marie Elena last week, asked for poems on the theme, “The harvest I reap.” Enjoy, and peace to all, Amy
SEEDS
Years upon years
of mistakes and teary-eyed
talks over black coffee or
beer from the bottle,
swearing the air blue.
Dancing at Fiesta…
I don’t really dance
but if I smile and
show a little leg, todo esta bien.
Staring blankly out the window
in a small town
rain punishing my petunias
(parched, anyway),
wondering if the library
has any books I haven’t read yet.
Watching the baby emerge
from within Massive Me;
everyone is crying. She
latches on. I call her Little Bee.
Seeing Carnegie Hall for the first time…
from the stage at sound check.
Teaching fellow Psych Ward inmates
how to practice yoga
instead of watching
the big-ass TV all day.
All these memories are stored
in a quiet room within.
Open the door, grab a random handful.
Toss onto the fertile loam and see them sprout.
I gather the ripest fruits and
squeeze ink from their juices.
© 2011 Amy Barlow Liberatore/Sharp Little Pencil
Sharp Little Pencil 
Andrew
Oh yes, Amy. Love this one.
“I gather the ripest fruits and squeeze ink from their juices”. – what a perfect ending.
It’s such an encouragement to see the random and/or lost bits of our life come up in new sprouts years later. You capture this beautifully.
Sharp Little Pencil
Thank you so much for a lovely comment, Andrew. It’s true – you never know when you’re making a memory that will come around again years later… Amy
christine
there is a harvest to reap out of life, if we catch it and squeeze hard, write it Amy, write it
Sharp Little Pencil
Christine, what a terrific compliment, thanks so much. Catch and release? Methinks not!! A
Richard Cody
Nice to have a seed bank.
Sharp Little Pencil
Amen to that, Richard! Amy
vivinfrance
This is wonderful, Amy. The thought of reaping the harvest of memory as fodder for writing had not occurred to me before, but of course that’s exactly what we do..
Sharp Little Pencil
It didn’t hit me until I thought of the earth blooming in spring, the sprouts. Then it fell into place. Thanks, Viv! Amy
liv2write2day
So, so beautiful, Amy. Love the part about teaching yoga…such a true healing force. You amaze me.
Sharp Little Pencil
The nurses sat around all day doing crosswords and gossiping. If ONE of them had had the initiative God gave an ashtray (as Lex would say), they would have been setting up arts and crafts or something. I also arranged a walking group to burn calories; the nurses were livid, said I was “riling them up.” I asked if they’d rather have a bunch of Thorazine shufflers who whine all day, or engaged, communicative patients. Thanks, sweetie! A
booguloo
Always refreshing to see your acceptance and comfort.
Sharp Little Pencil
Thanks so much, Michael. Comfort is a big thing for me these days!
Debbie
Amazing Amy. Marvelous poems keep sprouting up here. 🙂
Sharp Little Pencil
We are like a hothouse, all of us, blooming year round!! Love, Amy
Renee Espriu
Your words here depict another time and place placing you there as a first for many things happening, for many new beginnings and you capture the moment.
Sharp Little Pencil
Oh Renee, this was a breathtaking comment. You often delight me with your insights. Yes, it started at one place, and all those experiences gathered as a bag of seed, waiting to take root. Thanks so much, Amy
The Lost Poet
Some wonderful observations here, Amy. You picked out just enough personal items to make it feel real. I’m sure it all felt real while it was occurring.
Sharp Little Pencil
You are spot on, SO REAL. I closed my eyes and could see the whole scene unfold, like magic. Thanks! Amy
Joseph Harker
I think this is one of my favorites of yours, definitely within the top five or three. There are beautiful phrases in here, especially the killer beginning and end, and honesty throughout. A nice little biography.
Sharp Little Pencil
Many thanks, Joseph. My handwriting is so wretched (from a depression med) that I’ve been forced to compose at the keyboard, and my fingers fly to keep up… but I do tend to edit a bit more when I compose in this way. I appreciate your thoughts.
Saw your blog and immediately bought a cc of your book on download… then had buyer’s remorse because I want a hard copy so you can sign it if ever we meet. Ah, well, might just have to shell out twice!! Soooo worth it for the quality of your work. A.
Madeleine Begun Kane
I really liked that, especially the conclusion!
Sharp Little Pencil
Thanks, Mad! Amy