Earlier this week I took two of my great-nephews and my great-niece on a hike in a nearby nature preserve. We kept our eyes peeled for interesting leaves, flowers, insects, and more. We were surprised, though, by the profusion of mushrooms we found. They were everywhere! Most were creamy white or pale brown, but a few were yellow or orange-red. Many looked like a stereotypical toadstool, but others were quite exotic, with fluted edges, deep ridges, or coral-like branches. My niece exclaimed “That one looks like a potato!” She was exactly right. Because I have no expertise in mushrooms, I made it very clear that we could. not. touch. anything! That didn’t stop us from noticing them, and we soon lost count of the bounty at our feet.
This entire adventure seems like the perfect inspiration for a poem. But I’ve been distracted by other concerns (all good) this week. So I’m sharing a celebration of these mysterious, magical fungi by the inimitable Valerie Worth, the master of poems about small things. I am always in awe of her precise descriptions and her ability to find the perfect metaphor for the object of her attention.
mushroom
The mushroom pushes
Its soft skull
Up through the soil,
Spreads its frail
Ribs into full
Pale bloom,
And floats,
A dim ghost
Above the tomb
Where an oak’s
Old dust lies
Flourishing still.
by Valerie Worth
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Reading to the Core 
Yes, I have seen lots of mushrooms lately also… in my yard and elsewhere. Wet summer. Thank you for sharing this poem by Valerie Worth. She is new to me, and I will have to read more, as I loved this… soft skull… frail ribs… dim ghost. Fabulous. Thanks again.
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I don’t think I know the work of Valerie Worth. Thanks for the heads up!
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I love how sparse this verse that gives the perfect image “floats a dim ghost above its tomb” Sounds like you had a fun family outing.
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Totally captured by that soft skull. What a glorious, gorgeous poem. Thank-you!
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Okay. Now I’ll never be able to look at a mushroom again without seeing a ghost! I snapped a picture of some gorgeous red ones that appeared in the garden this week.
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Werth is a master of spare…love this poem. What a great mentor text. Thanks for sharing. Lots of mushrooms, eh? Interesting!
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Catherine, your go to poet was an inspired choice. Valerie Worth is synonymous with small things as you stated and her poem provides a most apt connection to your mushrooming experience.
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Oh! This is a Valerie Worth poem I didn’t know and I LOVE it! Mushrooms fascinate me and this take on them is wonderful.
“Spreads its frail
Ribs into full
Pale bloom,”
Wow!
I agree with Linda that this would be a great mentor poem. I think I’m going to have to dive into those small poems of hers and play a bit. Thanks!
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