Most Commented Nature Poems (1,977)

Twas a breathless night
And daybreak was fighting to arrive
On the far horizon
The last fading stars
Were caressing the early skies
Saying their final goodbyes
For the day ahead
And yet
It was far too early
To hear the morning birdsong
That made all
The trees, whisper their words
Of dawn greeting
It was that time
When all is still
Night was not over
Dawn had not managed to begin
And
All was quiet
So we sat and stared
Into each others eyes, that knowing look
Of tranquillity and unspoken words
That needed no telling
It was our time
A spellbound moment of love unbroken
And peace to us had spoken

I sit between two circles
On a bench cast in iron
Pitted with age and memories
Beneath my feet lie
Paths of crazy paving
Trying to mock
All that is order in life
A grassed outer circle
Sits sheltered by trees
Each of differing hues
Rooted to life
Fighting for space
In a genetic battle
Where light
Is their only master
Small insects travel
Hither and thither
Searching for existence
But never sure
Where it may lie
But seeming to understand
That it is here somewhere



The small inner circle
Is ringed in iron spears
Sharp and erect
Like a guard of honour
Flowers form a barricade
To the inner sanctum
Grateful for the wisps
Of life giving spray
Repaying their dues
With an abundance of colour
A small fountain
Cascades back into itself
With that soft caress
Only water can exude
Mesmerising my thoughts
Spreading its gentle fall
Over my very being
Until I seem to reach
A state of pure peace
It is only here
For that moment in time
That life
Stalls

Such a short life the sunflower has;
but, aah, the glory of it! From its
small, flat, pointed dark-brown seed,
it seeks out the moisture of the soil.
Using summer-sun heat, it bursts,
portending an elongated exterior.
First break in its life-encasing shell
gives way to a sprout, straight up,

ready to go. The stalk displays
the chlorophyll product
of solar rays as its sprint
to meet its creator begins.
Inch begets inch as
cells beget leaf after leaf—
each thick, verdant, curly—
showing off an expansive surface

eager to absorb and transform
light and rain into energy.
This factory continues to
work, day in, day out, until
its efforts begin to pay off
with a much-anticipated reward.
A one-and-only bud forms
on the now-towering stalk.

Thick and rough fibers
stacked side-by-side under
tiny hairs glistening in the sun
give texture to brownish-green stem
join forces to remain erect
able to sway in the gentle
and oft not-so-gentle breezes.
Yellow-gold ray florets begin

to peer out into the world above—
with little thought to what got
them to such great height.
They spread themselves out
proudly in a spiral pattern
handed down to them, ready
for the kiss of the rain and
caress of the butterfly,

forming a vibrant ring around
the future - dense, dark, prickly
to the touch - filled with promise.
As its work is completing,
the sunflower bows its head
to the birth-giving ground,
gives thanks for its season,
waits for the cycle of life to repeat—
this reaching for the light.

Wearing robes of crimson, orange and gold
Short or tall and age young or old
Every autumn dancing at the royal ball
Swirling and swaying to the cool wind of fall

Moving in time to the musical breeze
Coppertone and bronze sentries guard with ease
Fairies – pixies and angels flitting about
Flying here and there among the royal crowd

The event only lasts a brief time each year
It happens when winter is drawing near
Forest and field animals running all around
Gathering up droppings from their royal crowns

Dancing so hard that their robes fly all around
Sending crimson, orange and gold to the ground
Thus with no coat their limbs are now bare
Standing there proudly not seeming to care

New robes will arrive all pure and white
Floating down from above what a beautiful sight
Sunlight showing sparkling diamond tears
Ending the Royal Ball for another year

A romantic thought of death is to believe their the ones alive
Although we embrace the living perhaps we are the ones with covered eyes
I pondered on this notion during my peaceful walks through hell
Aligned with rusting treasures thrown from foolish wishing wells
Considerately it comforts me with a temporary escape
Deep within meditation I elevate my mind beyond my grave
Giving a life unto the ghost inside of this hollow shell
While the living say to cast the dead to rot amongst themselves
But I believe death has the potential to become one with perfect light
Slowly removing darkness until we ascend into new heights
Although at times it may be difficult and sometimes filled with pain
Those who have endured will prevail eternally inside of grace
So as life is like dirty water and within the depth of all its murk
I am the lotus flower reborn, cleansed, and free of dirt
While the world around me is muddy, dismal, harsh, and filled with gloom
I will achieve enlightenment and beneath the sun my soul shall forever bloom

~ JJF ~

WINTER ROSE
a/k/a Christmas Rose (Helleborus)

Trees of the forest tall and proud
Standing bare in winter’s white shroud
Angel wings made of diamond frost
Until covered by a new blanket and lost

The forest quiet in long winter’s sleep
Only echoing once in a while a bird’s peep
Peace and tranquility here is abound
For the beautiful white blanket covers all sound

All inhabitants are sound asleep
As the moon shines down the white deep
Showing endless sparkling diamond dust
Of the cold frozen forest white crust

Suddenly a moon beam appeared to kiss
A lonely Winter Rose peeking through a drift
It’s creamy pink face the only color in sight
On this very cold crisp winter’s night

We march, for we are many legion
We care not for the pains of death or season
Our intent has but one single solitary mission
To bend you all to our inevitable submission

Do not dare to fight, or stand in our relentless path
We put out the coals in your life’s pathetic hearth
We are fearless, our quest never undiminished
For what we start we will surely always finish

We have no single mind for we are a collective
We have no friends we remain non selective
Our only aim is to secure our future young
We saviour your retreat once we have begun

We are not cruel we treat all the same
Death to everything that it is our only aim
Can you not hear us, feel our numbing sting
To us your cries of demise are a hollow ring

Do not dare resist in any way, to live, take flight
For you are mere fodder, we protect our right
We do not hear your deathly screams or rants
For we are legion, for we are soldier ants

A part of me is always a part of you
But I have no ability to begin anew
I have bled my heart beyond repair
We have taken your body and left despair

The rolling thunder plagues my soul
Is it mad desire to bequeath a dust bowl?
I breathe within you and see with knowing eyes
What we have taken comes in false disguise

For we would breathe as seeming one
Forever taking, you would strive to render undone
I would gather your richness within my hand
That slipped through fingers as grains of sand

Your winds of defiance to us tried to speak
We took your beauty and made it ever bleak
As oceans stagnate and green forests fall
It is no passing phase as a nighttimes squall

The arctic winds no longer breathe an icy chill
Mankind will eventually swallow a bitter pill
Within our nature to do too little to late
We tear out your heart and serve it on our plate

You give us life; we bring you your death
Let us both enjoy our last single breath
Like I, a heart laid open emotionally bare
The world had bled, with thoughtless care

your smell,
your juice,

drip down my chin,

I swirl my tongue,

capturing,
licking,

dewy drops,

off

the crease of lips,

savoring nectar’s
sweet taste,

I close my eyes,
in reverence,

planting
the seed,

deep,

deep
within

There were three little leaves that hung together
Until one day there was windy weather
They dropped to the ground one by one
Drifting down without a sound

Suddenly another gust came and blew
Picking up one and away it flew
Far over the land out of sight
Leaving the other two shivering in fright

Another big swirl picked another up and away
Leaving the third the only one to stay
Once in a while one or the other returned to see
The third little leaf but then again would leave

Finally the sad little leaf was left all alone
Laying there tucked tight to the ground
Until it decayed and to the roots returned
Nourishing the new leaves that appeared

Author: Kathy Ostrander © July 21, 2018