Poetry Blog – Julia Taylor Ebel

New Book: HANSI AND THE ICEMAN

Hansi and the neighborhood children delight in gathering ice chips from the horse-drawn ice wagon as the iceman brings ice for Oma’s icebox. But when Hansi’s grandmother buys an electric refrigerator, he wonders about the changes ahead—no more ice for Oma’s icebox and no ice chips for Hansi and his sister Elizabeth.

Hansi and the Iceman is sure to spark memories for sharing across generations.

Gems Before Our Eyes

Nature offers little treasures right before our eyes–like this bird’s nest perched on a wreath on my glass front door. Standing on a stool, I saw that an egg was added each day. Now, as the mother house finch sits on her nest, I try to give her space.

What gems await your notice? Look closely. Focus. Then capture a few key words on paper.

Wreath-top Nest

A mother finch

flits,

flies

until she finds

a fading wreath

still hanging on a door.

She twitters,

chatters,

gathers grass,

soft leaves,

and fur

to weave into a bed.

Day by day,

blue eggs appear—

one

and two,

then three,

now four.

At last, she nestles

in her wreath-top nest

as her tiny heart

hums lullabies

to young ones curled in eggs.