Wednesday, July 2, 2025

Cresting the Cascades (the Feathered Scent of Hope)

 

A thousand trees from sunset,

each with a hand held out our windows

 

cupping an apricot wind,

a warm pine breeze combs through our hair.

 

We curve, and twist,

take one last dip

 

before the fall of the sun

and the rising

 

of a champagne moon

bubbling up,

 

spilling the glass,

jealous of day’s light.

 

And just like that,

she’s cresting the berried branches,

 

nesting on the seat

between us,

 

that thing with feathers,

suddenly thirsty, opening wide,

 

suddenly bright.

 

 

© 2025 Jennifer Wagner

  

For The Word Garden Word List and

What’s Going On?  Fragrance

 

Hope is the thing with feathersEmily Dickinson, of course.

 


8 comments:

  1. I love "cupping an apricot wind" so much! This poem lifts the heart with every line. Lovely.

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  2. What a beautiful poem. I like the idea of bringing in hope with scent, a bird with scent, a bird that rises with the moon.

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  3. I too love the idea of an apricot wind. So delicately and beautifully written - Jae

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  4. You have painted a vivid scene here, Jen. I especially liked "each with a hand held out our windows."

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  5. This poem takes my breath away. I like how it builds throughout and then at the end is BRIGHT!

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  6. Lovely and redolent with subtle fragrance, reaching a crescendo as it ends!

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  7. I could visualize each and every beautiful line! Apricot wind steals my heart. So lovely, Jennifer.

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  8. Love the Emily Dickinson reference. She's one of my heroes!

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Thank you for your thoughts!