Welcome to Poetically Yours. Poetically Yours showcases poems written by northern Illinois poets. Today we highlight Mike Andrews.
Andrews is from Maine but lives in Genoa, Illinois. Many of his poems reflect thoughts, images, and memories from his hometown. His pen leaks stories about nature, children, and his frustration about the state of the world. He wrote today’s featured poem in 2017.
Arrivals
We really should look at the future with hope!
Nature teaches us by example.
In late winter barren branch tips begin to swell,
Giving us expectations of a verdant future.
We gaze out on the half-full ponds, glazed with ice in early spring.
April rains saturate the ground, and our ponds and lakes are replenished.
Leaf buds begin to open, first dark before forming a virescent dome.
The earth awakens and is lush and foliated.
In summer we are cooled by giants reaching over our yards and parks.
We enjoy the emerald umbrella that protects us from the fiery sun.
Life is peaceful, rich and succulent.
We feel that our luscious life will go on and on.
In autumn our bosky world erupts in color, and then, the days shorten and cool.
Our living blanket tumbles piece by piece to the ground.
We are left with warm memories and dream of verdurous days to come.
Why do we call them leaves?
It seems so pessimistic!
I think we should call them “Arrivals”,
and celebrate when they come again once more.
- Yvonne Boose is a current corps member for Report for America, an initiative of the GroundTruth Project. It's a national service program that places talented journalists in local newsrooms like WNIJ. You can learn more about Report for America at wnij.org.