The RavensPerch has published three of my poems this week. You can find the first, “Over the Dam” at https://theravensperch.com/over-the-dam-by-ellen-roberts-young/
Does anyone else remember singing as a child, “Swim, said the mama fishie, swim if you can”? I don’t recall what brought that old song to mind, but it evolved into this little poem.
Then click on next to see my others. Extended family will recognize the locale of “Formation.” The poem began at the cottage I visit each year in June—not this year or last, but the year before. Some of my poems take a long time to reach their proper form.
The third poem, “Evening” is one that began last year in a poetry webinar with Marj Hahne. “What are you feeling now?” she asked. “What color is it?” Beige is a color I think of as neutral, but as the poem developed it came to represent something definitely on the down side. Perhaps one could say that “blah” became “the blahs.”
The RavensPerch is not the easiest site to browse in, at least for me, but the curious reader will find quite a variety of interesting material in the current batch. They publish a set of works twice a month. They invite readers to leave comments.
Jun 30, 2022 @ 15:45:05
These three poems, each different in its tone and materials, are all strong and pertinent pieces. Good work.
Jul 02, 2022 @ 03:43:30
Hoping all goes well for you. Your Christian Century poem from decades ago will always be my favorite. Here’s a poem I wrote yesterday. Now why would an 81-year-old be thinking about existence?
Existence
Encompassed yet free,
wearing reality like bark on trees,
the woody flesh of us,
soaking in mammal inadequacies,
saturated by spring’s volition,
grows progressive rings of sacred freedom.
Jul 02, 2022 @ 11:43:53
Your question is clearly rhetorical. Why not?
I like your images, especially “rings of sacred freedom.