My best friend, author and poet Bruce Balan and his wife sail around the world in their trimaran. Bruce and I email an original poem to each other every day.
This joint poem was published in A KICK IN THE HEAD selected by Paul B. Janeczko (Candlewick Press 2009)
(The internet can play havoc with the alignment of a poem. In order to align this poem properly, I am separating the words with dots. In the book, there is simply blank space.)
I AM STANDING – Girl on Land, Boy at Sea
by April Halprin Wayland and Bruce Balan
Girl on Land…………………….Boy at Sea
I am standing…………………….I am standing
feet apart……………………………feet apart
hands on hips……………………..hands on hips
bare feet……………………………..bare feet
in damp grass
………………………………………….on wood deck
rooted, rooted
to the earth………………………moving, moving
…………………………………………with the waves
I am………………………………….I am
climbing
…………………………………………climbing
up this……………………………….up this
tree
…………………………………………mast
swaying
…………………………………………swaying
with the wind……………………..with the wind
to and fro
…………………………………………..to and fro
sparrows, jays, crows,
…………………………………………..pelicans, gulls, terns,
and blossoms all around
……………………………………………and white caps all around
climbing
……………………………………………..climbing
up this tree
………………………………………………up this mast
in our yard
………………………………………………on our boat
in this town
……………………………………………….in this sea
in my world………………………………in my world.
published in A KICK IN THE HEAD selected by Paul B. Janeczko (Candlewick Press 2009)
One Response
I remember checking out this title from the Library to read with BookPALS.
Here in Florida irritating insectss can be nearly a daily event (as much as I don’t bug most bugs) so bug poems are good to share. And this unique voice of FIRE ANTS is a real stinger. Brava!