I’ve been reading and recording in my notebook at least one poem a day during April. Most of the poems (probably 95%) are from Mary Oliver. Her focus on the natural world and her ability to find the extraordinary in the ordinary and  record her thoughts in the most eloquent of ways have captivated me this month. So, on this last Tuesday in April, I used her influence, her mentorship, to craft a poem of my own. For my poem “Morning Symphony” I first read and         reread Mary Oliver’s poem “The Wren” as well as Birdsongs by Betsy Franco. Then I dug into my musical background and listed as many musical terms as I could think of. Then I listened…and listened…and listened, as each morning I was greeted with song.
 
                                                                            Morning Symphony
 
                                                                            The sun rises
                                                                            and the choir begins
                                                                            a symphony of
                                                                                  chips and chirps
                                                                                         whistles and warbles
                                                                                                 trills and tweets
                                                                             each cadenza a song of praise,
                                                                             thankful for this new day.