Parker Owens

The Sea Song sang itself to me the other day. I love it when poetry does that in my head, when I have to hurry just to get it onto paper. I’m so glad you liked it! I'm really happy we took the challenge this year; I almost didn’t. But at the end, adding the last extra day was irresistible. Thanks so much for your thoughts and for reading, and especially for your poems this month!

You’re very welcome. The end of this month has seen so many beautiful renewals. It is indeed a season of hope.

28. To the Green All the world has gone green— the grass and forest floor, new budded rose bushes, rising peas and parsley, old stones and fallen trunks with new moss coats to wear, and spear-sprouted iris from their old, gnarled rhizomes— every tree and flower waves spring’s royal banner, adorned with their accents like purple for vinca, grey for sage and hemlock, and trout lily’s bold yellows, all shouting for the bees

I really, really liked your #28 on Silence. Silence isn't just the absence of sound, it has a feel to it that I can't describe. However, you've described it in words that make me feel silence flowing, moving through and around me. It's a gem. So too are your sonnets. I can't decide which I like better, #29 or the Bonus. The third stanza of #29 appeals to me: there's a visual image of the poet there that sprang directly to mind. The second stanza of the Bonus, as well as its final couplet, stand out, too. I confess to being scared to try a Monostich, but your wonderful example made it look easy. Thank you for making the NaPoWriMo journey this year. You have given me lots of food for thought and inspiration, on top of the great pleasure of reading your poetry.

@AC Benus you’re very kind to comment on those Tanka. I’m still feeling my way through that form again, and these two felt especially right. Thank you for reading this group and for alighting upon these in particular.

This is a fantastic set. #21 had me grinning from ear to ear, and #23 made a chill run down my spine. #24 made me pause to think about how I perceive color. Taken together, #26 and 27 felt so powerful, I felt swept up in mourning and longing. These are excellent.

You did not misinterpret about the 19th. The 20th referred to another dear friend I have missed. Thank you very much for reading and for your thoughts.

Thank you very much, tim. I felt particularly wordless on the 19th, as sadness washed over me. His Smile made me feel lighter for having written it. I’m glad the wary rabbit made you smile. It’s the time of spring when I see them on my morning walk; they always make me smile too. Thank you for reading these and for your comments.

I’m glad you found this group to be engaging. Thanks very much for taking time with it. @AC Benus wrote a guide to writing a variety of poetry forms (including Tanka), and I credit him with sparking my rebirth in poetry. I’ve included the link… https://gayauthors.org/story/ac-benus/zero-to-hero-a-guide/1

You’re very welcome. Thanks for reading!

19. Sad News I can’t write today: the colors are much too dark for my word canvas, too heavy for its frail frame and too sad for translation. 20. His Smile When I could bear to think about your smile, it flooded every inch of space, I know, the brilliant morning sunshine to beguile, and even swirling time refused to flow. The stretch of days since last we met has grown, yet I remember every second spent within the c

Thank you for posting this

I’m very lucky to live in a region where a lot of horticultural research has taken place, yielding a dizzying array of varieties and variants. The offshoots of old Jonathan apples are just one such case. On the other hand, it’s fun to encounter old heirloom varieties at heritage orchards, and to sample apples one has only read about. I’m very glad you liked Apple of My Eye. I dithered over several lines, and hope I got them right. Thank you so much for trying out these apples, and for your generous comments.

Thank you for your kind and generous comments. I decided to use both metaphorical and actual apples as my subjects; it seemed good to widen my scope. I hope you had an excellent snack.

Ed and Liam are something beautiful. They care about one another, and appear to be pillars of strength for each other. At the same time, Liam has both Mark and Aiden confirming the truth that Liam has come to know. Growth and insight may follow swiftly.

I was taken by the idea of #20; I could feel the fear before I ever read the title at the end. I likewise felt the frustration and uncertainty in #16. I’m not sure I could have dealt with #17 and #19 with anything like your honesty. This was a great third installment.

Thank you so much for your kind comments and reflections. The old tree made it through the winter again, and is showing signs of new scions here and there. I got one or two golden russets a few years back in a mixed bag at a heritage apple orchard. They were a revelation. The history of apples can be fascinating. Transparent Yellows were spread throughout New England by just one or two enthusiasts. Again, many thanks for your thoughts.

That Liam was not sent into an episode of acute anxiety after seeing his mother on television speaks well of the therapy he’s had and the progress he has made. It also says something good about the relationship he’s built with Ed. With whom will Liam feel safe to talk with about this? I’ll be interested to find out.

Thank you for showing me a senryu. It was fun to attempt. The alliteration poems were pure fun to play with, and I’m very glad you liked them. I may try additional aphorisms another day - you can tell they were fun, too. Thank you for your reactions and for reading these!

Thank you very much!

The spice rack full of nuances redeems my kitchen, I hope. There’s a common experience with having a crush, yet being to bashful to do anything about it; I’ve been there many times. I’m glad you liked the four aphorisms, which were fun to write. Thank you very much for reading these and for sharing your kind thoughts.

Like so many others, I’m shocked. He was an icon, one of those immovable objects in this world. I will miss him.

Thank you very much for reading these and tasting the apples. I’m glad they worked for you.

I’m glad you liked the reworked aphorisms in Number 15. They seem almost quaint these days. There is something immensely comforting about the sound of rain on the roof. Thanks for reading these, and for your very kind comments.

10. Awake at Night I listen to the rain on the roof murmur soft words of reassurance while the brook outside my window sings lullaby to smooth-skinned adolescent beech trees which toss and turn mutely in their sleep. 11. Openings in the Woods Through the decayed leaves, tiny purple spring beauties open to the sun. Wood chips lie scattered about the long-broken ash, beneath birds at work. Huge tangled