Friday, September 3, 2010

Garden Bloggers' Muse Day - September 2010

This is one of my favorite "Muse" topics. I'm sorry I'm a couple of days late.


The Ways of Living Things

There is wonder past all wonder
in the ways of living things,
in a worm's intrepid wriggling,
in the song a blackbird sings,

In the grandeur of an eagle
and the fury of a shark,
in the calmness of a tortoise
on a meadow in the dark,

In the splendor of a sea gull
as it plummets from the sky,
in the incandescent shimmer
of a noisy dragonfly,

In a heron, still and silent
underneath a crescent moon,
in a butterfly emerging
from its silver-spun cocoon.

In a fish's joyful splashing,
in a snake that makes no sound,
in the smallest salamander
there is wonder to be found.

by Jack Prelutsky

Living Things - a Miracle in Motion!
:-) Happy Muse Day!

Please join Carolyn Gail at Sweet Home and Garden Chicago. Garden Blogger's Muse Day (about my favorite thing in which to participate) is her brainchild!

13 comments:

F Cameron said...

Seeing all the butterflies this year is a great reminder of why I garden in tough times .... 78 days of temperatures above 90 degrees. Will be 99 today; no rain in the last couple of weeks.

Shady Gardener said...

Hi Cameron, You've been struggling, haven't you? Hopefully you'll be receiving rain soon.

Sunita Mohan said...

I love this poem. And the photo!

Noelle Johnson said...

I never tire of the miracle of a lowly caterpillar evolving into a beautiful butterfly :-)

Pat said...

How did you do that with the butterfly ? Super capture!

Sweet Home and Garden Carolina said...

Wow, super shot of the butterfly, Shady. Thanks so much for adding such a lovely musing to September's Garden Bloggers' Muse Day.

Rosemary said...

Musing I am who on earth did you get such a good photo.

Sue Catmint said...

lovely post Shady, photo and poem. I looked at one of your other blogs, for your grandchildren. I am considering doing something similar. So far I have written and illustrated (with photos) 2 personalized books but nothing is like a blog for keeping lots of material together and you can't lose it. cheers, catmint

Rose said...

A lovely poem for Muse Day, Shady. I'm familiar with some of Prelutsky's poems, usually funny ones that the kids enjoyed, but I like his serious side here. Great photo of the Monarch! They're usually so shy.

Corner Gardener Sue said...

I love that poem, and was surprised when I saw that Prelutsky wrote it. That's a cool photo of the monarch, too.

Shady Gardener said...

Hi Sunita, What a nice surprise to have you visit again. :-) Thanks!

Noelle, One of the most wonderful miracles, wouldn't you agree?

Patsi, My granddaughters had watched a Monarch lay its eggs on their Swamp Milkweed. From there, they watched the tiny caterpillars grow. Then they placed a larger one in a jar with plenty of fresh leaves... eventually it created its chrysalis. This photo was taken just moments after the butterfly had hatched. It was still wet and "stretching." :-)

Hi Carolyn, (YOU know how I feel about your muse!) :-)

Hi Rosemary, check out the comment I wrote Patsi above.

Catmint, You would definitely enjoy writing a blog specifically for your grandchildren. (THEY will love it, too!!) :-) (I make them photo books, too...) ha. It sounds as though we think alike when it comes to our grandchildren!

Hi Rose, The girls had a wonderful experience with this Monarch (check out my comment to Patsi, above). Little brother (3 1/2) was in awe, also. :-)

Hi Sue, You're right. We usually think of Jack Prelutsky as having a wacky sense of humor, so it was great to find a few of his more serious poems!

troutbirder said...

My sentiments exactly. Thanks. :)

Shady Gardener said...

Hi troutbirder... ;-) You're welcome!