FINDING BEAUTY IN UNLIKELY PLACES

ByLee Ann

It’s June and life is in full bloom! Take your morning coffee outside and have a look for yourself, in your own yard or next door. I’ve always said June is the best month in the garden, because nothing has gone wrong yet. No bug infestations, no drought, no wash-out rains. Plants are bursting with new leaves and colours of every hue, expanding daily, it seems, to fill in all the rough spots. Here are some samples from my own back yard:

Of course, June makes it easy to find beauty. It’s everywhere – but what if it’s not?

I recently found myself in a setting and a situation that was anything but beautiful. And as I looked around, I thought: here I am, the one who says she’s on a mission to find beauty in everyday life, and to put more beauty into the world, but not every day is a day in June. So I set myself a challenge: to find and write about something beautiful in that not-so-beautiful experience.

I can tell you it took a few days to sift through the details and to finally see something good, something I could call beautiful. But I did find it: 

SIGNS OF HEALING IN THE EMERGENCY WAITING ROOM

The white-haired woman hobbles in
leaning heavily on her husband’s arm.
She drops into the chair in Triage
where a nurse points to a poster of cartoon faces
to help her describe her pain on a scale of 1 to 10.
She stares for a moment at her left foot
her face scrunched into Level 8 pain,
limps to a waiting room chair and waits to be called.

Opposite her, under a sign explaining that 
abusive language will not be tolerated
sits a boy about 8, 
a gauze bandage encircling his head,
green stains on the knees of his baseball uniform 
red stain on the gauze.
While mom hovers, standing because of a chair shortage,
dad explains in precise, descriptive language 
how medical staples differ from the ones the boy knows from school.
The boy is briefly distracted. 
The white-haired woman learns something new.

Next to the boy, below a large photo of a pretty nurse 
holding a banner that reports 35% of nurses experience abuse in the workplace,
a 30-something man sits in a wheelchair with his right leg outstretched
icepack balanced on his ankle. 
He is joined by a pretty 30-something woman who hands him a large coffee.
Their eyes lock for a moment, crinkle at the corners in matching smiles.
She adjusts the icepack. 
The white-haired woman leans gratefully against her husband. 

Across the room, the sliding glass doors 
whoosh open to a tall woman cradling her right elbow, fist clenched against her waist. 
A large sign pasted on the doors warns in bold black typeface, 
do not open these doors between 11:30p.m. and 6a.m. 
to anyone except our staff or patients.
A rumpled man in a worn shirt and blue medical mask stands 
to give the tall woman his seat. 
She unclenches her fist, presses her palm to her heart. 
The white-haired woman stops shivering.

You may already be the type of person who gives up your seat, adjusts the icepack, gives a smile when that’s all you have to give. I apparently need to challenge myself in that regard. So I’ve set a goal to remind myself the next time I’m a situation that’s far from a day in June, I’m going to be the one who adds some beauty!

Lee Ann

What Else is New?

Do you ever wonder:

  1. What’s really going on in the life of a plant? Check out my article, “Under the Microscope: The Wonder and Mystery of Plants” on Page 5 of the March issue of “Trowel Talk,” the newsletter of the Master Gardeners of Ottawa Carleton.
  2. What’s happening under the surface of the soil where your garden grows? “Soil: It’s Not Dirt!” in the June issue of Trowel Talk reveals all!

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IT’S NATIONAL POETRY MONTH! Something for everyone – yes, you too!

ByLee Ann

I hear you celebrating out there – try to keep it down, OK, poets are busy writing!

The Academy of American Poets started National Poetry Month in 1996. You might not know that it has grown to be one of the largest literary celebrations in the world. Readers, students, K–12 teachers, librarians, booksellers, literary events curators, publishers, bloggers, and—of course—poets take part in a variety of activities and events in order to recognize and promote the value of poetry. Many poets – me included – challenge themselves to write a poem a day during the month of April.

The League of Canadian Poets launched National Poetry Month in Canada in 1998. The League defines a theme every year, inspiring poets and poetry lovers alike. This year, it’s WEATHER.

Well, there’s a theme that never stops inspiring Canadians…!

Mother Nature got right into the spirit of things last week, blowing up a huge storm across Ontario and Quebec that dumped about 15cm of wet snow on top of all the spring greenery that had started to poke up in my garden. It all melted 24 hours later, but meantime, my poetry prompt of the day was metaphor and I certainly found myself inspired!

While you may not be inclined to scribble some poetic lines of your own (and why not??) there are plenty of ways to get into the world of poetry this month. Read some Dr. Seuss or Shel Silverstein to your kids or grandkids. Sing in the shower or the car and marvel at the lyrics behind the music. Take a poet to lunch! (Just kidding… sort of…)

Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy “Snowsuit.”

Lee Ann

What Else is New?

Now that Nature has had her last hurrah, you’re probably as keen as I am to get out to the garden. Just in time, the Master Gardeners of Ottawa-Carleton have launched their popular garden lecture series. Each hour-long Zoom session is delivered by an enthusiastic and knowledgeable Master Gardener. You don’t have to live in Ottawa to benefit from these informative and fun sessions, offered in partnership with Friends of the Central Experimental Farm (FCEF). Bonus poetry prompt: write a verse about your favourite weed or bug.

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NOW THAT’S A POEM: Where Inspiration Comes From

ByLee Ann

Have you ever wanted to ask an artist, “Where do you get your ideas?” I’m here to help! As many of you know, I’m endlessly fascinated by the creative process and have written quite a bit about it here on the site. Turns out, inspiration is lurking in many surprising places.

Local Beauty

For me, inspiration often lies in the beauty I’ve photographed in my everyday world. Here are some examples of photos I’m currently writing from:

How do I decide which of my hundreds of photos inspire me? When I look at one and think, “now that’s a poem!” Then I’ll start to jot down thoughts about what’s in the picture, what ideas it sparks, what feelings it invokes. The photo is a jumping off point. The resulting poem is rarely a description of what’s in the scene.

Themes and Structures

Another trigger can come from a “call for submission”, where a journal or website announces they are looking for writers to send in new work. Often these calls are for a certain theme to be written about, or certain style of poem to be created. For example, Frontier Poetry recently requested submissions for their “Not in Love Tanka Challenge.” Oh yeah, this is inspiring: to try to stuff such a huge theme into the five-line/31 syllable structure that is the Tanka poem!

I can’t show you that one, as I did submit and can’t publish anywhere else, including here, before hearing back from Frontier Poetry. However, I can show you “White Quill Pen”. This poem was one of three I submitted, answering a call by the League of Canadian Poets. It was selected for Fresh Voices #30. This scene, taken in Canmore, Alberta, inspired the poem. You can see the poem with its photo in my Photo Art Gallery.

Magical Thinking

And yes, sometimes it’s all very “woo-woo” and I’ll wake up with some lines that seem to insist on being written. Recently I got: “Meegwich/thank you, I hope my people were kind.” This led to a poem that is a type of land acknowledgement to the native people of the Niagara Region. My ancestors were some of the very first white settlers there, and the poem includes details from my years of genealogical research.

Your Turn!

So there you go! I hope I’ve answered your question about where inspiration comes from, at least partly. Follow-up questions are most welcome!

Meanwhile, even if you’re not a practicing artist, why not challenge yourself to notice what ignites some excitement, some curiosity, or maybe even an “ah-ha!” moment? You may be surprised by where inspiration comes from. Who knows what may galvanize you… and what that might lead to!

Lee Ann

What Else is New?

Looking for gardening inspiration? Find Seedy Saturday events across Canada in February and March. Shop for low-priced seeds from local sources, talk to local vendors, attend fun and informative workshops. For my Ottawa readers: Look for the Master Gardeners of Ottawa-Carleton’s advice table at the Ottawa event, March 2, 691 Smyth Road, and at the Carp event, March 9, 3790 Carp Road.

FOUND POEMS: Digging for Buried Treasure

ByLee Ann

The most fun I’ve had with poetry lately is creating “found poems.” Like a kid with a treasure map, I’ve been mining existing texts for the poetry hidden within. Here’s an example, found of all places in the textbook, Canadian Copyright Law, by Lesley Ellen Harris. I call it, “Advice to Would-Be Colonizers”:

Poem found in a textbook!

This form of poetry first appeared in the mid-20th Century alongside other types of Pop Art (think Andy Warhol’s 1962 paintings of Campbell’s soup cans). It is art created from recycled items, giving ordinary things new meaning when put within a new context. In other words, it’s finding buried treasure. Newspaper articles, street signs, graffiti, speeches, letters, or even other poems all provide the raw material for found poems. Novels are also a great source! Here’s a poem I found in the classic Mutiny on the Bounty, by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall.

The great event in his life had been
an extraordinary affair
which broke into an uproar and
confusion very strange,
far from easy to subdue.
Presently the great wave left destruction in its wake
leaked into us
and it was here that
the seeds of discontent,
destined to be the ruin, were sown.

And here’s the raw material.

So forget Sudoku, forget crossword puzzles, you can exercise your brain by trying this form of poetry! Use the “blackout” approach above, or maybe you’d prefer a literary collage, where the artist (you!) cuts words or phrases out of the raw material, and rearranges them into a found poem. This approach is called “cut-up,” or in French if you want to sound very literary: “découpé”. (Pro tip: don’t try découpé with a library book…)

Remember: poetry is everywhere, often hiding in plain view.

May you find many treasures, buried and otherwise, this holiday season!

Lee Ann

What Else is New?

Any book lovers on your holiday gift-giving list? I can help!

The Other Princess, by Denny S. Bryce. Read my interview with the author and learn about Queen Victoria’s African princess goddaughter, Sarah Forbes Bonetta. This is the latest in my series on Fascinating Women You’ve Never Heard Of.

Growing Joy: The Plant Lovers Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants), by Maria Failla, an enthusiastic how-to book. The ideal reader is someone who is new to gardening, or considers themselves “not a gardener” and who would welcome a light, but informative book. You can read my review on Page 6 of the December issue of Trowel Talk, newsletter of the Master Gardeners of Ottawa-Carleton.

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STILL GROWING (and a draw for you to enter!)

ByLee Ann

Getting Inspired by Growth

Hello there!

In this post, I’d like to turn your attention for a moment away from the havoc Nature has been inflicting across the continent: drought, floods, relentless heatwaves, wildfires… I think that sometimes, after we’ve done whatever we can for those in peril, we need to refresh by pulling our focus inward, closer to home. In my backyard this season, plants are especially large and lush; overall, it seems to me to have been one of those glory years for my garden. Is it the same in your neighbourhood?

Bounty from my backyard in August

And there is more growth and beauty to come! Autumn already hints at her arrival with the cooler nights of September, bringing the first tinges of colour to the maple trees at my cottage property. When I can keep my gaze out of the headlines and focus on my own personal landscape, the feeling is of happy anticipation for the fall season: blazing leaf colour (not actual flames); fresh, crisp air (instead of wilting heat); fall’s bountiful harvests (versus devastating losses.) Summer may be over, but there’s still plenty of potential with the fall season!

All this reminds me of something the English novelist Mary Ann Evans (writing as George Eliot) famously wrote:

“It is never too late to be what you might have been.”

Isn’t that fabulous? (Can you think of something this might inspire you to try?)

I’ve been inspired lately along these lines, and I’m excited to share some things that I think reflect what Evans/Eliot was talking about:

  1. My latest Poetry Art, “Still Growing”. A reminder of what can happen in our glorious “autumn years”!
  2. My new feature: Gardening Advice for Your Own Backyard. There’s a timely article available for you, “What to Do and Not Do in the Fall Garden.”
  3. A free event: I’ll be reading some poetry at the League of Canadian Poets New Member Reading, Thursday, November 9, 7:30-8:30pm., EST. This is an online event and you can get a free ticket here.
  4. Most exciting is this newly transformed website, packed with offerings, new information, free resources, plus a shop where you can buy my books and artwork. Click on my name above to get to the home page, take a look around and do let me know what you think!

Enter to Win!

To celebrate new growth and the new website, I’m having a draw! Let me know your favourite thing about the redesigned site (layout? features? Blog?) In particular, what would you would like to see more of from me here? Which of the “Creative Works” are you most interested in? I would love your feedback.

Contact me with your thoughts and I’ll enter your name into a draw for a chance to win one of my Poetry Art chapbooks. There are three to choose from – you’ll find out all about them under “Books”.

Deadline to enter is October 1, 2023. Have fun and remember when you contact me with your entry, to tell me which chapbook you would like when you win!

Good luck everyone – and may we all keep growing with the help of strong feedback!

Lee Ann

JUNE

ByLee Ann

Every gardener has their favourite season. What is yours? For me, it’s spring, and in particular, early spring. When daffodil time overlaps with the riot of tulip colour, I’m more energized, hopeful, and renewed than I am at any other time of the year.

The burst of energy that is early spring

Far too soon for me, the daffodils droop. Then the tulips start to fade and I wander the garden, snapping their blooms off to feed the bulb for next year.

The passing of this early spring season reminds me: change is the only constant.

No deep philosophy here, I’m just reminding myself to savour every season as it takes centre stage. (Okay, yes, I mean in life as well as in the garden!) To me, that means observing closely, noticing and maybe writing about what’s happening, or taking some photos. This savouring, I’ve found, seems to extend the length of the season. It also helps me to remember, which is another form of savouring.

As the tulips fade the irises start to show their colour

Here’s something else I’ve discovered. When I observe closely, not only do I see what is, but I can also see the next season waiting in the wings. The tulip petals fall and I notice sturdy stalks of iris, the edges of their fat buds already showing colour. So I get this delicious little hint of delights to come. Have you noticed that, in life as well as in the garden?

Right now in my garden, as if to temper the loss of spring, is the glory that is June. Not for nothing has this month been celebrated by artists of all stripes for all time. It’s the prettiest of seasons, I think, and the most lush. It also marks the end of the brief time when not much has gone wrong yet – no drought, no insect infestation, no mistakes by the gardener – and all is possible. June is the blush of youth in her prime!

May you savour the beauty of June in your neighbourhood. May you also enjoy to the fullest the gifts of whatever phase of life you may be living! And please take a moment to savour my tributes to this gorgeous month: haiku with photos, “Irises” and “Peonies.”

Lee Ann

P.S. For those of you who are curious: a haiku is a structured poem first found in Japanese literature in the 17th century. It consists of seventeen syllables, in three lines of five, seven, and five, traditionally evoking images of the natural world. Aren’t you glad you asked?