Category Archives: Poetry

The Autumn Forest

Fallen Willow Branch

Fallen Willow Branch

The Autumn Forest

In the autumn forest

on a day of calm breezes

and cloudless skies,

the trees seem content

to rest in the golden light -

their floor a brown carpet

of abandoned leaves.

A few greens of moss

and fern emerge from

the layers of debris.

A moment with no hint

of winter storms that will

bring snow and frigid winds.

Lainie Senechal

An Autumn Afternoon

Autumn Leaves

Autumn Leaves

An Autumn Afternoon

Beyond the window’s shutters

all the birch leaves are golden -

they dance in the autumn breeze

as afternoon’s light twinkles

among the bright branches.

This moment, however, is tenuous

and will soon draw to a close.

Then the crows, silhouetted

against the bare limbs, will call

raucously across an empty forest.

Lainie Senechal

Announcement: Lainie will have paintings and poetry in the Kaji Aso Studio exhibit: “Flying Together: Celebrating 50 Years”. The reception,including music, poetry and art, will happen on Saturday, November 4th at 7pm at the Kaji Aso Studio, 40 St Stephen St., Boston. There will be an online exhibit on November 12th at 7pm.

Autumn Flow

Small Pumpkins

Small Pumpkins

Autumn Flow

Autumn moves steadily forward.

Leaves color the wind

with wings of gold.

Northern plains send

their cold blasts and clouds

which hide the season’s sun -

at night geese ride the currents

to reach warmer climes.

From harvest festivals the scent

of warm, spiced cider brings

comfort to these changing times.

Lainie Senechal

Bee the Morning

IMG_0312Joe Pye Weed Along Stream

Bee the Morning

After a night’s rain

wind sweeps the sky

clean of sullen clouds.

Through the morning window

one sees the bees fly

to the balcony blossoms.

They exuberantly explore them,

hopeful to win sweet nectar

which will provide the necessary

nourishment to sustain them

through long and barren winter days.

Lainie Senechal

Night of the Blue Moon

Blue MoonBlue Moon

Night of the Blue Moon

The Blue Moon sends

its beam through a gap

in the forest trees

illuminating the landscape

as if dawn will soon arrive.

Dreams are disturbed

by its persistent light,

forgotten memories awaken,

the past becomes the present,

for time is not transient

in the visions of the night.

Lainie Senechal

Mid-August

The Garden at Satori

The Garden at Satori

Mid-August

Hummingbirds with rapid wings

visit flowers more frequently

then slip quickly away

to find new blossoms

as they bank calories

for the migration south.

A list of fall vegetables

appears at the farm stand:

butternut squash, cabbages,

and soon the pumpkins

next to the sweet corn.

The long hours of light

are slowly fading away

as summer moves

toward its final days.

Lainie Senechal

Summer Rain Along the Contoocook

 

The River After Rain

The River After Rain

Summer Rain Along the Contoocook

With torrents of steady rain

the Contoocook has escaped

its banks, covered walks,

and trapped the reeds

in green isles where

they rustle in the current.

Frogs in the nearby swamp

are suddenly sleepless.

Their raspy croaks continue

uninterrupted through the night.

The humid haze of morning

hangs heavy in the air.

Thoughts of cooler days occur,

but this is high summer,

which we will long for

in winter’s frigid cold.

Lainie Senechal

The Goblet of Spring

Along the Contoocook - May

Along the Contoocook – May

The Goblet of Spring

The goblet of spring is finally

overflowing with succulent nectar.

Long awaited warmth has helped

to surprise us with a burst

of bountiful blossoms filled

with pollen to laden

the bumblebees, newly

awakened from winter abodes.

Across the land an immense

flow of bright green created

by an emergence of new leaves.

The unrelenting beauty of May

is everywhere – settled in gardens,

along roadsides, amid forests -

renewing the spirit, once again.

Lainie Senechal

Early Spring in the Contoocook Valley

Where the Wood Frogs Sing

Where the Wood Frogs Sing

Early Spring in the Contoocook Valley

Winter’s poor stretch of weather

replaced by warmer days.

The Contoocook’s current continues

its swift flow, fed by melting snow.

Daffodils have only green shoots

but a chorus of wood frogs

sweeps across an ephemeral pool.

The wave of crimson haze

along the forest’s edge foretells

the appearance of fresh leaves.

Watchers on the hills attempt

to catch the hawks’ migration

as nuthatches search for cozy crevices

in which to construct their new nests.

Lainie Senechal

Spring’s Arrival

First Blossoms of Spring

First Blossoms of Spring

Spring’s  Arrival

The brisk spring wind

follows a day of calm.

Snow piles remain on edges

which create an undertow

of remembrance for winter’s woes.

The dry, rust-colored leaves,

remnants of last autumn,

swirl in the stiff breeze.

Our thoughts are pulled

towards days of expected warmth -

a time when beaches will open

and a wave of green will

spread across the barren land.

Even the weeds will be welcomed,

at least for a while.

Lainie Senechal