Poem of the Month: July 2007

How swiftly the strained honey
of afternoon light
flows into darkness

and the closed bud shrugs off
its special mystery
in order to break into blossom:

as if what exists, exists
so that it can be lost
and become precious

--Lisel Mueller

Journal prompts:

• At the midpoint of summer -- and the year 2007 -- what is changing? What has passed away? What do you anticipate?
  
  
• What "special mystery" are you shrugging off "in order to break into blossom"?
  
  
• Write a story about something that has become, or is becoming, precious to you.