[Critique Group 2] 40-line poem for June 11

[Alice Massa]

Dear Group 2 writer friends,


     Thanks for accepting my submission for June 11 a little late.  
Since I was offline during May, I am uncertain if you all met in May.  I 
was surprised to read Leonard's reminder that the meeting would be the 
11th, rather than later in the month. Nevertheless, I should be able to 
attend on the 11th.  I will need to double check, but I think I received 
all submissions for the 11th--except Valerie's.  I imagine that Val sent 
her poem very early, while I was still offline.


     I hope that all of you are well and enjoying this warm month of June.


     The following poem (below my signature and contact info) is forty 
lines; I marked the five stanzas.


Take care!

Look forward to talking with you all next Thursday evening--Alice

new e-mail (all lower case):  alicejmassa at gmail.com

new landline:  734/562-2227


*Nature’s Counselor:The Mourning Dove*

Poem by Alice Jane-Marie Massa

As soon as Willow and I walk outside

To meet the early June’s sunrise,

We find the dew, like my heart,

Is heavy.

* Stanza 2

Suddenly, I hear Mother Nature’s psychiatrist--

The mourning dove--

With his chorus of calming mantras,

“Coo-roo-coo-coo-coo.”

* Stanza 3

In the midst of all the world has to shout,

In the midst of the unfathomable pandemic,

In the midst of unbelievable grief for a cousin gone too soon and too 
tragically--

I take the advice of the mourning dove

And calm, calm, calm--

Allow my heavy heart to lighten

In flight with the words and wings of the mourning dove.

* Stanza 4

The mourning dove I longed to hear for nearly three decades in the city,

but so rarely heard,

Now so frequently sings to me,

soothes me,

Reminds me of calm,

Points to a place of peace

As I walk with Willow to the wooden gazebo,

As I pray at the top step of the chapel,

As we sit midst the geraniums on our front porch,

As I eat in the sunroom,

As I lie in my bed.

“Coo-roo-coo-coo-coo.”

* Stanza 5

At times, as when I was much younger

At my Blanford home with woods to the south and north of me,

I yearn to echo the mantra of the mourning dove.

I know he will hear and respond to my call.

However, only my heart makes the call;

And always,

During these hard times,

the mourning dove is there--

Here for me--

Just like my dad

Who also loved the mourning dove,

Loved BJ and me.

“Coo-roo-coo-coo-coo.”

Number of poetic lines:40

June 5, 2020, Friday

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://bluegrasspals.com/pipermail/group2/attachments/20200605/2908c29a/attachment-0001.html>