Better late than never, I’m chiming in with my recipe poem.
(I have an excused absence. My whole sweet and wonderful family came for the holiday week and togetherness was on the menu.) BUT. Here I am with my recipe for… a habitat!
The Making of a Habitat
By Liz Garton Scanlon
Find
food such as thimbleberries or hickory nuts
(you may substitute anything
from ants to antelope
depending on appetite
and inclination)
Also, water, plentiful and preferably unpolluted
Air as filtered through the trees
and shelter
(may use aforementioned trees
or nearly any cave
or crook
or cranny)
Don’t leave out space to roam, range, recreate
and procreate
as necessary
… or desired
Jump to recipe!
Gather and weigh all ingredients
Aim for balance
Do not rush, do not miss steps, do not leave anything out
Over time, this recipe becomes self-sustaining
Beautiful, even
a certain, fragile, souffle-like kind of perfect
Make yourself at home here
But do not disturb
My pals’ poems are here:
And Ruth hosted Poetry Friday here!
n December we are letting box inspire us. Your poem can be about a box, in the form of a box, about Boxing day, a boxing match, etc. Let your imagination run wild! We hope you’ll join us. Are you in? Good! You’ve got a month to craft your creation(s), then share your offering with the rest of us on December 30th in a post and/or on social media with the tag #PoetryPals. We look forward to reading your poems! in a post and/or on social media with the tag #PoetryPals. We look forward to reading your poems!
My science heart adores this poem. The alliteration in places is lovely. These lines are lovely:
“Over time, this recipe becomes self-sustaining/Beautiful, even/a certain, fragile, souffle-like kind of perfect.”
Liz, I agree with Tricia. Your lines that she cited resonant with me, too. I am glad that I was not the only one to keep Poetry Friday going over the weekend. I, also, had a busy weekend with family. Poetry lives on!
I love how deliberately, humorously broad you make this recipe (ants to antelope! roam, range!)—reminding us of life’s incredible diversity—and that providing shelter and nourishment and protection is both fundamental and complicated if the earth is to thrive. And then that lovely contradiction at the end! Be at home, but do not disturb… yes, indeed.
The alliteration has been mentioned by everyone – and it’s wonderful. I’m still imagining the biodiversity in every “cave, crook & cranny” …”and I think to myself… what a wonderful world.”
Thank you.
Oh, to still be in the classroom! This is a perfect poem for 5th grade science! LOVE IT!!!
Such a charming poem Liz, I love those “thimbleberries” and
“from ants to antelope!” Though I’m quite late in commenting, I’m so glad I stopped by–hope you had a lovely time with your family, thanks!