National Poetry Month '24: What the Oak Knows

It's Poetry Friday...and National Poetry Month. Today's Poetry Friday community roundup is hosted by Heidi Mordhorst. Stop by for all the poetry joy you need today! (If you're interested in the madness I've jumped into this month, scroll to the bottom of this post. Today's craft tip: Achieving Tone.) 

       Photo by Pietro Voso on Unsplash

What the Oak Knows

the oak stands firmly grounded

between fields and fencing. it

watches as cherry, redbud, and

crabapple flower, before opening

its green fingers to the sun. it

knows the rhythm of the farmer who

will plant beans this year instead of

corn, it knows of rain, and the way the

running creek returns every spring. it's

watched houses rise and families

settle. it's weathered snowstorms and

tornadoes, its roots deeply planted. it

knows joy and it knows sorrow, mostly

it knows that the birds start singing

before darkness recedes in morning. 

© Cathy L. Mere, 2024 

For April I've taken a deep dive into The Practicing Poet: Writing Beyond the Basics, edited by Diane Lockward. This book is full of 30 craft tips, so it is the perfect way to shape this month's challenge and dig into the craft of poetry. Stop by my Substack page, Merely in Progress, to follow this month's writing journey, where you will also find reflections, links, and inspiration across the challenge. Of course, this month is really about writing poetry so I will have a new poem posted here each day utilizing a craft tip from the book. Here we go.