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In between writing this poem and today, the iris HAVE bloomed and I have spent time each day with my face buried in their generous blooms, breathing in their delicious once-a-year scent: fuel.
With what fuel are you stoking your heart these days? I’m guessing poetry might be one way.
Sarah Grace Tuttle has this week’s Poetry Friday roundup. Not only is she sharing a digital chapbook of her Poetry Month protest poetry, she has some questions for you, too.
A(nother) Year of Reading 
I love your match print, Mary Lee! You make me want to give it a try. Thank goodness for the kindling of nature, art, and community! xo
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I can relate to scattered to-do lists. We are also seeing and rejoicing in the overnight growth of greenery outside. No iris yet, but warblers have arrived in a burst of small flames.
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Hooray for the Iris. I love those flowers…they were my grandmother’s favorites. I always think of her. Those leaves growing from bean to egg size is such precise and interesting imagery. I love it and the way to the kindled flame. Cool stamp!
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Oh, irises! I love them. They are fuel for revival, for sure.
And I love your block print!
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My fuel these days is watching the garden come back, I think like you, too. Irises are among my favorites, especially paired with peonies.
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This intense little poem seems to capture the way my days fly by, Mary Lee. Quietly, but filled with surprising, beautiful things too. Love your match! xo
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Fuel is what I need most days. I love this poem that turns the ordinary into extraordinary. A friend brought me a vase full of gladiolas. Not usually my favorite flower but they’ve turned my kitchen on with their bright peach and purple fuel. I hope I can be as creative in my retirement. You are my role model.
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Mary Lee! I love every thing about this post and poem. Thank you for sharing! The emotional journey you take in the poem is transformative and powerful. I’d argue that this post is, itself, fuel! As for what’s fueling me… like many people on Poetry Friday, I’m taking solace in nature and the greening of the world around me. I’m also doubling down on time with my community and family, making it a top priority to carve out time for focusing on connection and joyful moments.
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Sometimes I get fuel from giving to others. I picked up some peonies for my mom for Mother’s Day and picked out ones that were still closed, by the next day two of the three had almost totally opened, AH but they were gorgeous and my mom loves them. I enjoyed reading your fuel-filled poem and all the energy it’s generating, lovely little print too, thanks Mary Lee!
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Mary Lee, your poem and question had me pondering. Poetry is a fuel that propels me forward. I need to unburden my soul or revel in memories each day. Sometimes the words never appear on paper but they are locked in my mind.
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I’ve needed refueling these past days, as we’ve all been sick, which makes everything feel doomier and gloomier. Then my son found some wildflowers on his walk home from school and proudly presented them to me, and my flame flickered just that little bit brighter.
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