Of Herbs and Love
by Terri Hadley Ward
I talk with the trees and sing
with the wind as it sweeps clean the mountain
morning and rushes wild
into the arms of the cedars and pines.
Rosemary remembers me, and waits for me
in the garden,spicy basil lends her dragon
breath to my fire. Lilac woos
me with her heady perfume
and wraps my spirit in her protective energy.
Yarrow and thyme, bee balm, and lemon,
dear friends who beckon when the sun rises,
a yellow coin tossed to the blue. Bird songs twitter
and ripple through the morning, bells that call me
back to myself, to Gaia’s joyful green
celebrating the return of spring dreams.
Bio:Terri Hadley Ward is a poet and artist who gains inspiration from being in nature. Her poems have appeared in The Greensilk Journal, The MOON magazine, When Women Waken, The Magnolia Review, and Snapdragon: A Journal of Art & Healing. Her blog, Gypsy Soul Creative, can be found at https://gypsysoul67.wordpress.com. Her poetry chapbook, Songs of the Wild She, is available through Amazon.com. In addition to writing poetry, she nourishes her soul through yoga, meditation, gardening, painting, and exploring the caves of West Virginia with her husband and sons.
Hummingbird Lessons
by Brenda Berry
With whispered wings unfurled,
she rides the breath of spirit.
Dressed in her rainbow cloak,
hummingbird voraciously suckles sweet nectar,
sustenance for the journey home.
So deftly she flits through life
seeking nourishment for her soul.
on a quest for truth, peace, love — Grace
Teach me to drink deeply
the vital life force
of the next delicate blossom
before becoming invisible once more.
Bio - Brenda Berry, a professor of happiness & delight, celebrates love - in all its forms. A wedding officiant, integrative energy medicine practitioner & Reiki Master, she lives contentedly in Winchester with her beloved husband, John, and Yorkie companions, Lily & Molly.
Teal Green Tea House
by Kim Hazelwood
The Teal Green Tea House
Where I sip my future
Recovered from an act of separateness.
Where an early moon rises,
And embroiders the universe
Where the lake glistens and ripples and reaches out
Further than you can imagine,
But imagine you must.
Where all those things I love in you
I find right here in my heart, first-
Recognizing a homesickness~
Cosmic trust.
How precious is life
Sweet painful bliss of impermanence.
How delicious to sip
The Moon-song serenade
Honeyed and amber
Vast and haunting,
From the drama of any given moment,
Past and present
In genius reflection,
My Determined Protector
Makes me laugh and bolt about like a banshee,
And relish being so human.
Out on the veranda,
I hear a drum circle warming up,
Someone’s brought a bass this time to accompany.
Oh, the lovely Teal Green Tea House!
Where a distant gazebo looks inviting,
To proudly luxuriate in private thoughts surrounded by
Asiatic lilies and various variations
Of impossible plants
And all that could ever matter.
Where a fortress meadow
And the soul of seedlings
Radiate within me
The joy of a memory
Of a lush vale with the same dusk-y cloud cover light,
A childhood outing, a distant family friend,
A side of the road excursion,
Where I keep feeling
Such keen importance to that scene,
The where exactlys and the whens?
Mysteries will always abound
Tea will always soothe
And I’ll always come back here
To surround myself with heaven
To savor selectively such passion on the brink
And
To dream and glean and drink and think!
Bio: Kim Hazelwood is the editor of this litzine and author of CoyoteBat! . She recently placed third in a local poetry contest and has upcoming publications in various zines in the vast universe of poetry. She is also a member of the Shenandoah Alliance of Poetry. This summer she plans to elope with the co-editor. Life is good.
