Look at this beautiful poem — August Triptych — by Louise Ireland.

We used it as this month’s jumping-off point, writing poems “In the Style Of…” but from the other side of summer. I like this kind of challenge — where we’re given a container of sorts and have to work within it. To fill it, I guess! In Texas, June feels like full-on summer rather than the beginning, so that’s what I went with.

June triptych
Liz Garton Scanlon

I.

Freedom is the sun hanging
like laundry on the line,
hot and still – not a breath
of breeze to bother it –
and the day unfolds
as it will.

II.

Look! There are groundhogs
everywhere, out of control
and way too much
to manage.
Holes as tripping hazards
and garden peppers all but gone.
Chaos reigns,
and we hurry
to get ahead of it.

III.

The century plant blooms just once,
this bright spike emerging

from the sharpest,
most protected center,
showing us how

to go out with a beautiful bang
when the time comes.

See the other triptychs here:
Tanita
Mary Lee
Tricia
Sara
Laura

(And our own Tricia is hosting Poetry Friday!)

As for next month, we’re writing pantoums, using Pádraig Ó Tuama’s very specific and sensory prompts (scroll down to find them…) Will you write along with us? I hope so!