In the dry garden we contemplate raked ripples around the rock. In the pond turtle raises her head. Look! More ripples! ©Mary Lee Hahn, 2023
Last month, we went to the Japanese Festival at Dawes Arboretum east of Columbus. Their Japanese gardens are fabulous. I learned the difference between the dry garden shown above, and the wet garden. (Which really did have a turtle popping up its head!) I was honored when Margaret used this picture for This Photo Wants to Be a Poem.
Molly has this week’s Poetry Friday Roundup at Nix the Comfort Zone.
Edited to add my Sealey reading for this past week: SINCE THE BABY CAME by Kathleen Long Bostrom, MY HEAD HAS A BELLY ACHE by Chris Harris, BLACK GIRL, CALL HOME by Jasmine Mans, TREE WHISPERS by Mandy Ross, BUGS by Shirley Raines, and two days with SOME GLAD MORNING by Barbara Crooker.
A(nother) Year of Reading 
“raked ripples around the rock” – sigh! I just ordered and received a collection of Barbara Crooker poems and look forward to digging in.
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Mary Lee, your photo is stunning. The day at the gardens must have been a wonder-filled one. Ripples is a beautiful word and your poem has such a vivid visual.
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So relaxing, Mary Lee! Your poem and photo make me want to just sit and contemplate ripples.
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Wonderful all around, Mary Lee – and I love the surprise “ending” with fun & repetition! Your festival/gardens visit sounds glorious.
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Beautiful photo and response, Mary Lee. I took Ingrid to our favorite art supply store this week. She wanted to get some school supplies & we found a few other wonders, like a zen garden for a desk (she has a new desk!) & we talked about calming down when ‘things’ feel a little overwhelming. She’s starting high school! I am tickled with verse two. Self-awareness is always tricky. Happy weekend!
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That looks exactly like a turtle! Dry garden sounds right for me–I constantly over- or under-water the plants I have. Oops!
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I love turtles, how they declare their presence with ripples. Nice contrast with the rock and sand. Thanks for the book list. Sounds like you are enjoying your summer.
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I loved your photo and your poem–all those fabulous “r” sounds! I had to zoom in to make sure there wasn’t actually a turtle in the middle of all that raked sand. I’ve thought a lot about ripples this summer and enjoyed taking on the turtle’s perspective for a change. How lucky are you to have Japanese gardens near you!?!
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Nice, Mary Lee! And that is indeed a beautiful photography.
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The patience needed to rake those ripples is beyond me, but their perfection is awe-inspiring. I love the echo between your two stanzas.
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Delightful! I love a pretty and dry garden. And, the echo of ripples in your poem is sweet.
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Mary Lee, what fun raked ripples you saw! Sweet poem and photo.
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Ah your poem is wonder-filled especially reading it out loud-with all those lovely rolling r’s, and even the turtle feels it, thanks Mary Lee!
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Those contrasting garden have delivered contrasting words. You have allowed the experience to inform your response. Rather zen, Mary Lee.
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I love the (yes, zen) playfulness of these two stanzas, Mary Lee! I really did want to look at the turtle’s head.It’s fun to go places and do things, isn’t it? What I want to know is how the raker gets out of the dry pond without leaving footsteps…
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I love how you capture the moment and then add what happens next, Mary Lee!
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Really love “raked ripples.” And now I’m off to do a deep dive on dry gardens and wet gardens…
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