poetry – Page 2 – Julia Taylor Ebel

Introducing Bonnie

When I visit schools, I often talk about Bonnie, my Golden Retriever mix who inspires poetry. We have fun together. As my son points out, Bonnie and I are a lot alike. We both like to explore in the woods, we both like to dig in the garden, and we both love blueberries. Sometimes we both get into mud, even if we didn’t intend to. Oops!

Bonnie’s enthusiasm, her wagging tail, her mischievous nature, and her interesting diet (?) have all inspired poems. Here is a small sample. As you read them, think about what you would say about your own pet.

PUZZLE MAKER

My yellow pup
ate up
the Encyclopedia Britannica

from “Silicate Minerals”
to “Singapore,”

leaving behind
a paper puzzle
of 24 pages.

CATCH

Oh, my!
Oh me!
My pup just ate
a bumblebee.

WAGS

A swift swipe
of a happy tail
wipes the coffee table clean
of dust
and collected treasures.

WRITING POEMS
WITH MY DOG

Bonnie and I
sit together
writing poems.

I hold the pen
as she rests her head
on my lap.

Sweet Scents and Poems

Until I was 11 years old, my family lived in a house with a mimosa tree in the yard. Mimosa trees have smooth bark and V-shaped branching–perfect for climbing. In the mimosa’s gentle arms, I honed my tree-climbing skills and watched the world.

In summer, when pink tasseled blossoms covered the tree, the yard was a fragrant garden that smelled like a potpourri of flowers, watermelon, and sweet hard candy. Years later, that scent is still fresh in my mind and entwined with childhood memories.

A familiar scent still calls me to stop and notice, as when my dog and I walked past a mimosa tree one morning.

FRAGRANT FLIGHT

Two hummingbirds
on phantom wings
dart
and dip
amidst
a fruity floral scent
of pink
mimosa
plumes.