Sunday, October 3, 2010

Sunday Morning Poetry

still innocent

Forgotten Language

Once I spoke the language of the flowers,
Once I understood each word the caterpillar said,
Once I smiled in secret at the gossip of the starlings,
And shared a conversation with the housefly
in my bed.
Once I heard and answered all the questions
of the crickets,
And joined the crying of each falling dying
flake of snow,
Once I spoke the language of the flowers. . . .
How did it go?
How did it go?

~ Shel Silverstein

I took this picture last Friday at our monthly Lawson Buck Party. We all had a great time. I was thinking of the poem and I thought to myself, "Now. If ever anyone can speak the language of flowers - it's my students. Now."

22 comments:

Joanna said...

Sweet poem. I still try and listen to what nature has to say to me, but it's harder than when I was a child.

Lovely photograph, sums it up beautifully.

x

Gill said...

I loved this, thank you so much.
Makes me want to rush out into the wide open and seek it all.
xoxo

KTW said...

LOVE Shel Silverstein! :)

Debby said...

Sure I will join in.
Sorry to respond this way, but since my email didn't go through.
Thanks.

Debby said...

Oh, the information......
Debby Messner
158 Spruce Drive
Granville, Ohio 43023

Favorite stores......I don't shop much but these are favorites.....
Archivers, Pottery Barn, Antrhopology

Interests......my family, grandchildren, scrapbooking

I will do overseas.

Jeanne said...

Happy Sunday my darling friend.
I love all you share and all you post.

Love Jeanne♥

Amy said...

Oh that we would keep a bit of that innocence ...

And a happy Sunday to you!

Life Is A Road Trip said...

This is such a lovely poem, and you captured quite the artist there!

Amy Brecount White said...

Hi, Relyn. I'd never seen this poem before, which is actually pretty amazing, because I wrote a YA novel about the language of flowers. (I found your site through a Google alert for that topic.)

Thanks so much for sharing the poem. If you want to check out my novel, it's called FORGET-HER-NOTS (HarperCollins, 2010) and is for girls ages 12 and up. It puts a new spin on garden magic and can actually be described as sweet.

Happy autumn!

-Amy (Brecount White)

Georgianna said...

Yes, you are so right. How did we lose it? Or did we? :) xo

Unknown said...

Love Shel Silverstein! I wish I spoke that language too!

S. Etole said...

and it is such a wonderful language ...

thank you for the invite and I wish I were able to take part but maybe another time

Tracy said...

This is so sweet and lovely... Lately I find myself recalling childhood things, really trying to remember things. Having a good dose of childhood spirit in one is a good things as an adult. :o) Happy Day, Relyn ((HUGS))

Jeanie said...

Always loved Shel Silverstein -- and the photo is perfect!

Jennifer Richardson said...

Oh my,
how this tugs
at the childlike
wonder in me
and coaxes it soothingly
to come out and play.
Really, it's safe
and you're more than welcome:)
smiles...smiles...smiles
Thanks, friend.
-Jennifer

Char said...

i love his work!

K J D said...

Beautiful poem.....

Sorry I didn't reply to your invitation before the sign up closed, but I left for Rome on Thursday and only just got back home today.

It was sweet of you to think of me.

Karenx

Marilyn Miller said...

Oh the language of the flowers, but the crying of each falling dying flake of snow. Shel Silverstein is the best at creating such visual images.

Angie Muresan said...

Yes. How did it go?

Ragamuffin Gal said...

Oh.. I love this one so very much!!

Anonymous said...

Melrose Derrick pointed me in your direction and I'm so glad I came - some wonderful treats to read. Thank you. I used the same Shel Silverstein quote for my BigTent poem today.

HKatz said...

I love his poems. Not just the humor, but poems like these that are tender and poignant and make you want to capture some of that wonderful childhood language and perception again.

Oldies, but Goodies