Photo by Amy LV
I will add an audio recording this evening.
Students - I find milkweed to be one of the most beautiful plants in our yard's fall landscape. When I see a full pod of wishes, I sometimes blow them into air, making wishes for strangers. And I know that these seeds will plant themselves, growing food for monarch caterpillars come spring.
In the above photograph and below video, taken a couple of weeks ago, you can see a milkweed pod in our pasture. Notice how the seeds are holding on. But in just a few more gusts of wind...off they'll go, planting themselves in new dirt homes.
You probably noticed that I had some fun playing with the spacing of the words in this poem. I wanted to mirror the feeling of milkweed wish movement.
And why no capitals? Well, I'm not sure about that. Somehow this poem felt softer to me without capitals and punctuation, I suppose.
If you are interested in learning more about milkweed and how the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service harvests milkweed seeds to plant for monarch butterflies, visit HERE. Among other things, you will see a wonderful photograph of milkweed seeds all tight in the pod...that is the milkweed-stage I always think looks fish-like.
If you'd like to see summer milkweed plants in our front garden and read a poem about monarchs and how we love to see them passing through, HERE you go.
Michelle is hosting this week's Poetry Friday roundup at at Today's Little Ditty with a hearty welcome to the 2017-2018 edition of THE BEST OF TODAY'S LITTLE DITTY! We invite everybody to join in each Friday as we share poems, poem books, poetry ideas, and friendship. Check out my left sidebar to learn where to find this poetry goodness every week.
Please share a comment below if you wish.
I took many pictures of milkweed at Highlights, one I love after their first frost. I love them too, and your poem shows that delight, Amy, certainly hundreds of wishes!
ReplyDeleteI love milkweed too—a bit like dandelions on steroids, no? (But much more delicate than that description!) I love how the pod is dancing in your video. It reminds me of the way you've given your words the space they need to dance in your poem.
ReplyDeleteOh, Amy, I love your photo & video of milkweed. They are gorgeous! And my favorite line of your poem has to be the first line:
ReplyDelete"seeds feel like scales on the softest of fishes"
next year new monarchs will fill up our sky....such a hopeful last line.
ReplyDeleteAmy, this is a rich post filled with your beautiful photos and beautifull, descriptive poem with its inspirational message. Thanks for sharing the links to the process of producing milkweek seeds and your monarch poem.
ReplyDeleteSee you at NCTE.
ReplyDeleteLovely! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI love milkweed as well! The photo is beautiful. When I taught, we would always end up with pods on the science table - and invariably seeds floating everywhere in the classroom for most of the Fall. Tiny little distractions as we tried to capture them. Sweet teaching memory for me! Your poem was also lovely.
ReplyDeleteLove your poem and image Amy, and the site you shared–I'm going to save that. I'm a humungous milkweed and monarch fan. My backyard is filled with milkweed in the summer, and their stalks through the winter, till they emerge again in spring. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI need to find some milkweed for my garden, although I had quite a few monarchs this year on my zinnias. Maybe I'll be lucky and a milkweed will plant itself in my garden! I hope...
ReplyDeleteCould I post your poem with credit on Instagram with my milkweed photos? Thanks
ReplyDelete