School ended last week and I spent a good part of last weekend reading and relaxing. As I sorted the stacks of books I’ve accumulated over the past few months, I found Searching for Stars on an Island in Maine, by Alan Lightman. In her rave review, Maria Papova called Lightman’s book “a splendid read in its entirety,” and I ordered it immediately.
The intersection of science and spirituality is endlessly fascinating to me, and Lightman’s poetic approach to the universe captivated me at once. One line was in my mind when I went for a walk at dawn the other day: “All is in flux.” I hope Mr. Lightman won’t mind that I “borrowed” his line to begin this poem.
All is in flux.
Shimmering in dawn’s golden light,
morning glories hum
with breakfasting bees.
Raspberries ripen.
Maples dazzle and beckon.
One… two…
three crows alight
on the highest branches.
Their caws echo
across the countryside.
I step into this dew-dappled morning,
searching for what is true.
© Catherine Flynn, 2018
Please be sure to visit Tricia at The Miss Rumphius Effect for the Poetry Friday Roundup.
Reading to the Core 
What a lovely lush poem. I really like how you changed the rhythm with the one…/two…/three crows alight and also love the phrase “dew-dappled morning”–wishing you many more of them this summer!
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Beautiful. I too, search for what is true and am closest to it on a walk in the natural world. What a lovely poem to wake up to, Catherine. Thank you.
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Marvelous to be near raspberries ripening! Clever to take that line as a starting place, Catherine — you present a combination of unsteadiness and beauty, with a bit of wistfulness as well.
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I rise very early, love being out as the sun rises and as you lovingly wrote: “morning glories hum/with breakfasting bees.” Thanks for sharing about Lightman’s book, too. I loved Einstein’s Dreams. Happy Summer, Catherine!
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I like Lightman’s work, though I’ve only read one of his books. I will look up this one. I love the ending of your poem.
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I like how you borrowed a line to create something of your own with rich things that create a flux. Flux makes summer!
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I just love everything about this gorgeous poem, Catherine – you capture summer and yet a mood of flux. That’s where I am, as you know!
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You’ve captured so much beauty in this short poem. It’s lovely.
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Ahh…thank you for taking us on this walk with you.
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Searching for truth amongst the beauty of nature is a wonderful practice, Catherine. Your poem speaks well of your keen observational skills. Perhaps, you will offer this for my summer gallery.
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Lovely poem. You capture that fleeting beauty of an early summer morning when things might seem still, but is still in flux. Enjoy your summer! Lightman sounds like a writer I would enjoy.
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Thanks for sharing this, Catherine…we have many of these types of mornings here in rural NH, but with 2 young kids it’s often hard to see or enjoy them as you have!
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“Shimmering in dawn’s golden light,” such a lovely line to draw us in and remind us of nature’s summer treasures, thanks Catherine!
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