52 Comments
User's avatar
Richard Blaisdell's avatar

A pencil pokes a hole into the ground. A bean seed planted to sprout.

A fertile stalk with flowers, harvests sun rays and bees, nourished they grow, progeny produces food and there's the home of the future watered with kindness of rain and teaches that care.

Expand full comment
<Mary L. Tabor>'s avatar

Beautifully state, Richard.

Expand full comment
William Colson's avatar

For me, every day is another Earth Day, but I don’t always reflect on those distant moments of childhood. Thank you for an artful poem that takes me back in time. ❤️

Expand full comment
<Mary L. Tabor>'s avatar

Ah ... xx

Expand full comment
Julie Gabrielli's avatar

“birds’ feet on sand

like the sweetness of time.” What a lovely image — and those paintings! 💚

Expand full comment
<Mary L. Tabor>'s avatar

Oh my goodness, 💗Julie!

Expand full comment
Kate Bown's avatar

A beautiful poem for your grand-daughter. Hope and the sweetness of time, bottles of milk and memories of long summers, so many beautiful images.

Expand full comment
<Mary L. Tabor>'s avatar

How lovely of you, Kate. Heart to heart.

Expand full comment
Alisa Kennedy Jones's avatar

Completely gorgeous.

Expand full comment
<Mary L. Tabor>'s avatar

You touch me with two words, Alisa.

Expand full comment
Alisa Kennedy Jones's avatar

I know how much that poem means to you as it immediately took me back to your extraordinary Lifeboat essay.💛

Expand full comment
Joseph Young's avatar

yes, all hope for your granddaughter and her sweetness of time. (and sweetness of koi). really nice, Mary.

Expand full comment
<Mary L. Tabor>'s avatar

You are a bundle of sweetness to write this. Joseph Young.

Expand full comment
Susie Mawhinney's avatar

Dear Mary, these heavenly words... yours. Two lines catch my eye, make me gulp, the evocation of "how to write in narrow white spaces of weather, and clothes, and long days at the beach—" and then the prophecy of the last "not of skies bursting color like peaches and plums or birds’ feet on sand like the sweetness of time."

And your paintings are so delightful too! xx

Expand full comment
<Mary L. Tabor>'s avatar

What a lovely comment, Susie. Sorry for the late reply: notifications have changed, I guess, as I didn't see this. As to the watercolors: major amateur!

Expand full comment
Susie Mawhinney's avatar

Mary my dear and wonderful friend, please, no apology will ever be necessary for the length of time between responses, in my world I am forever belated xx

Expand full comment
Nathan Slake's avatar

"in narrow white spaces of weather, and clothes," -- I really love this line, Mary.

Also, incredible watercolour!

Expand full comment
<Mary L. Tabor>'s avatar

Ah, so glad here, Nathan.

Expand full comment
Elizabeth Bobrick's avatar

Your watercolors are stunning! Xo

Expand full comment
Elizabeth Bobrick's avatar

Not in my eyes! Truly!

Expand full comment
<Mary L. Tabor>'s avatar

Oh, Thank you so, Elizabeth--though I am actually an amateur watercolorist.

Expand full comment
Isabelle's avatar

Such a gorgeous poem. I would love to own a collection of your poetry, Mary. This takes me back to my school days and though I sometimes refer to my childhood in the negative, your words here remind me of the simple things in life that provided comfort and joy (how hope smelled in the wood ...)

Expand full comment
<Mary L. Tabor>'s avatar

Oh, Isabelle, your tender words reach my heart. I am working on more poetry--and another is here, in case you missed it--as it was a crosspost from another site that featured me so generously: https://marytabor.substack.com/cp/160953469

Expand full comment
Isabelle's avatar

Yes I did. So lovely. Happy to read that you are working on more poetry xo

Expand full comment
Lor's avatar

“not of skies bursting color like peaches and plums or birds’ feet on sand like the sweetness of time.”

Just beautiful,Mary. I love your water colors, and that you chose Koi fish . In Japan, “Koi symbolize love, bravery, courage, perseverance .” How very appropriate. May you wrap every part of you, your kindness and compassion , love , and all of your words , in a time capsule of the heart, for your grand daughter. Sharing your living legacy in times of need. Like the Koi, you will arm her with this gift, so she may sail off into a future where all of her dreams will come true . Because that is all we have, hope, determination, and the fierce resilience to pay it forward.

Expand full comment
<Mary L. Tabor>'s avatar

Lor, your comment sings with such tenderness. I am so grateful that you took the time to read this small post.

Expand full comment
Jennifer's avatar

Thank you for this beautiful Earth Day poem. 🌏🍃🌳

Expand full comment
<Mary L. Tabor>'s avatar

OH, Jennifer, I thank you so for taking the time to read. Comments like yours make all the difference for a writer.

Expand full comment
Jennifer's avatar

Aww that’s good to know! Xo

Expand full comment
Liz Gauffreau's avatar

Thank you for this lovely Earth Day poem and accompanying paintings. These lines in particular spoke directly to me:

"How hope smelled in the wood

of sharp yellow pencils?"

Expand full comment
<Mary L. Tabor>'s avatar

Oh, aren't you a love! xx

Expand full comment
Kimberly Warner's avatar

Beautiful!!!! The poem and the art!

Expand full comment
<Mary L. Tabor>'s avatar

Ah, my sweet!

Expand full comment
Nick Buchheit's avatar

Lovely poem.

Expand full comment
<Mary L. Tabor>'s avatar

Oh Nick, heart to Heart!

Expand full comment
A. Jay Adler's avatar

You always evoke so much feeling and memory with your precise detail. And I love your watercolors, Mary. They're the image of your words.

Expand full comment
<Mary L. Tabor>'s avatar

Your words make my heart sing, Jay!

Expand full comment