GREENHOUSE

(Poem? Song? Novel?)

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So excited

Couldn’t sleep

So like a little girl

On Christmas Eve

Waiting to see Santa

Grabbed the cell phone

And slipped through the

Sliding glass door

Dogs lifting their heads

And returning to sleep

Briefly thought of Max

At 105 pounds

He’d never let me go into

A dark yard adjacent to the swamp

Alone

But my current dogs

Are children of my old age

And don’t demand much

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So I quietly close the door

And there it is

In the darkened light of

The New Moon

Delivered by UPS

Put together by Roomie and me

The perfect 8 x 6 greenhouse

Housing unsheltered plants

From the storms of rain and thunder

Just another hurricane season

In the Lightning Capital of the nation

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The plants were fed fertilizer

After moving them to their new home

But now I bring out the

Important food for the soul

Corn meal

Himalayan pink salt

And the sweet smoke of

Home-grown Sage

I greet and lightly touch

Each gift in its pot

Hello, Three Sisters:

Corn, Beans, and Squash

They nod their heads in the dark

While the Nightshades:

Tomatoes, Peppers, and Potatoes

Sisters to Belladonna

Remind me of their Vitamins A & C

With lots of antioxidants

Loaded with nutrients

And always welcome in my kitchen

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Suddenly a figure appears and I

Recognize the 4-square symbol on her dress:

Mokosh, Slavic Earth Mother

Associated with the destiny of women

Can’t help thinking what a magnet I am

For all the Fates from many cultures

But I welcome her

Mokosh, meaning “moisture”

Perfect because moist earth

Is essential for gardening

As is the earth quickly drying

From flood and torrential rain

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As she fades

I look around at my little structure

Unlike the portals I wander through

In previous descriptions

Like the Bathhouse and Swamp Crossroads

The greenhouse is anchored to the earth

There is no magic portal

Just a rolled-up door

Leading merely to my backyard

The magic is in the food

Growing in my pots

For health and safety

Briefly, though, I contemplate

Naming the greenhouse Esplumoir*

Merlin’s little cabin harboring

Twelve Damsels, oracles of the future

Neighboring Perceval, famous

Holy Grail guardian

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But magic often visits us

If we look and listen

And I see the shadow of a woman

Playing a big old bandura on her lap

And another shadow strumming

The three strings of an unmistakable

Ukrainian-crafted balalaika

And I know

My plants will gladly grow…

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© 2023 Clarissa Simmens (ViataMaja)

IMAGE: Greenhouse & plants & ukulele

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*From Wikipedia:  

The esplumoir is thought to be the place where Merlin, who is fond of transforming himself into a bird, would resume his human form.^[3] According to the Didot Perceval it is a cabin or a small house that Merlin built himself near the home of Perceval, guardian of the Grail, to prophesy.^[4] It is also imagined as a high tower or a rock, in other texts. In Méraugis de Portlesguez it is described as being atop a high cliff having no doors,windows or stairs; it is inhabited by twelve damsels who can tell the future.^[5]

AGROHOMEOPATHY (WHITE FLY)

Oh, beautiful April garden

Burgeoning with green bell peppers

Cherry tomatoes

Onions, Garlic and Ginger

Fell under the spell

Of the wicked witch

White Fly

Leaves departed

And all began to die

No matter what I tried

(Dish detergent included)

They relentlessly nipped all

Pumpkins, potatoes

Roots and vines

Curled up and died

While I tried not to cry

Oh, though,

I dose myself with homeopathic cures

And sure enough

There it was online

Agrohomeopathy

Homeopathy for plants

And decided to fight

The blight and bought

Silicea for strengthening

Zincum metallicum

(also great for human leg cramps)

And the “Corpse Reviver”

Carbo veg

For “desperate blossoms”

The Last Chance Saloon for healing

Mortar-and-pestled the pills

Sprayed on roots and leaves

And yes, healing

And yes, sprayed the

White Fly troops swarming

And yes, I think it will work

My bell pepper looks lovely still

Tomorrow is Sci Fi Friday

When Roomie and I

Watch Dr. Who

And eat homemade

Cauliflower pizza pie

This one will have a

Beautiful gift from the

Earth, Water, Fire, and Sky

With slices of green pepper

Kissed by the old root queen C

(Me)

And woken up

Some may say

To die

On the pizza pie

But it transitions into

Another life as the seeds

Compost, feeding the worms

While fulfilling our needs

To survive

Thank you dear plant…

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

© 2023 Clarissa Simmens (ViataMaja)

IMAGE: Green pepper with homeopathic remedies

FLORIDA BARD ANTHOLOGY

This is a post from the Florida poet and artist Denise Fletcher (who is also a wonderful friend). We both have poems appearing in this coming Florida anthology. My poem is titled “Gulf of Mexico Musical Nexus.” I believe the link is for preordering. I have read through the proofs and conclude that there are a lot of amazing poets in the state of Florida!

xoxoxo

Gulf Coast Poets

Gulf Coast Poets Florida Bards: A Poetry Anthology

My poem, “Saint Michael’s Shrine” was published in this poetry anthology in April 2023. I am pleased to be included in this fine collection, along with many exceptional poets, including my friend and fellow Florida poet, Clarissa Simmens.

A book of poetry published by Local Gems Press. Edited by James P. Wagner and Larry Jaffe, Beat Poet Laureate of Florida.

To purchase the book, click here.

Labels: Anthology, Books, Denise Fletcher, Florida, Poetry, Publications

Passion Fruit Dessert

Moving through my garden

Red tomatoes 

Off the vine

Placed in a battered pot

Red beans 

Red cayennes

Red potatoes

Bubbling like the 

Song in my valentine heart

Served in rose quartz bowls

Eaten with silver moon spoons

As the sun sinks

In a pink sky

And we drink the

Cool twilight of dreams…

(c) 2023 Clarissa Simmens (ViataMaja)

BAXTALO AVGO MAJO

Happy May Day

♥ ♥ ♥

RockStar guards the Sunchokes

Woof-woofing on this first of May

Call it Beltane or Avgo Majo

But celebrate this solar day!

♥ ♥ ♥

© 2023 Clarissa Simmens (ViataMaja)

IMAGE: RockStar & Sunchokes

(AKA Jerusalem Artichokes)