During the Pandemic, The Academy of American Poets has asked readers to take Shelter in Poems. Read one of the poems on their web site and make a response. Tell us why the poem is meaningful to you.
Learn more about Shelter in Poetry here https://poets.org/shelter-poems
Response to “In April” by Maria Rainer Rilke
“Again the woods are odorous,” just as in the beginning of his poem, but they seem far away in the time of plague and quarantine. Somewhere the bloodroot blooms and somewhere the Lady’s Slipper Orchids grace a landscape in a geography of rebirth. I miss the deeper reaches of the woods, but here in my community, I discover the simplest of pleasures with everyday plants. The garlic and rosemary, potted on my porch, release odors of spring growth good enough to grace the plate of a well-prepared meal. Baby spiderworts cling to flowering stems sent out by tropical parents. The lawns are carpeted with violets and open areas sport columbine in bloom, enough for a hummingbird to gather a snack. Neighbors’ irises, azaleas and rose bushes reach skyward in a rainbow of beauty. The dandelions, wild mustard, and buttercups have always been here, but Rilke’s poem reminded me to look about, As I do my morning stretches on the deck my spirit lifts with sunrise, bird song and colorful wildflowers.
Read Rilke’s poem here https://poets.org/poem/april-4
Learn more about Shelter in Poetry here https://poets.org/shelter-poems
Response to “In April” by Maria Rainer Rilke
“Again the woods are odorous,” just as in the beginning of his poem, but they seem far away in the time of plague and quarantine. Somewhere the bloodroot blooms and somewhere the Lady’s Slipper Orchids grace a landscape in a geography of rebirth. I miss the deeper reaches of the woods, but here in my community, I discover the simplest of pleasures with everyday plants. The garlic and rosemary, potted on my porch, release odors of spring growth good enough to grace the plate of a well-prepared meal. Baby spiderworts cling to flowering stems sent out by tropical parents. The lawns are carpeted with violets and open areas sport columbine in bloom, enough for a hummingbird to gather a snack. Neighbors’ irises, azaleas and rose bushes reach skyward in a rainbow of beauty. The dandelions, wild mustard, and buttercups have always been here, but Rilke’s poem reminded me to look about, As I do my morning stretches on the deck my spirit lifts with sunrise, bird song and colorful wildflowers.
Read Rilke’s poem here https://poets.org/poem/april-4
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