The World Begins at the Kitchen Table

As most of you know I have posted many, many poems on this blog. I am always on the hunt for new poems to use with my writing, writing with adults, or writing with my students. I am always surprised when I discover poems by my favorite poets that I had never read. Since I often use the theme of tables on this blog, I was drawn to the following poem. While working with adult writers today I had them visualize pieces of furniture that held memories for them. I then shared this poem:

Perhaps the World Ends Here   

by Joy Harjo

The world begins at a kitchen table. No matter what, we must eat to live.

The gifts of earth are brought and prepared, set on the table. So it has been since creation, and it will go on.

We chase chickens or dogs away from it. Babies teethe at the corners. They scrape their knees under it.

It is here that children are given instructions on what it means to be human. We make men at it, we make women.

At this table we gossip, recall enemies and the ghosts of lovers.

Our dreams drink coffee with us as they put their arms around our children. They laugh with us at our poor falling-down selves and as we put ourselves back together once again at the table.

This table has been a house in the rain, an umbrella in the sun.

Wars have begun and ended at this table. It is a place to hide in the shadow of terror. A place to celebrate the terrible victory.

We have given birth on this table, and have prepared our parents for burial here.

At this table we sing with joy, with sorrow. We pray of suffering and remorse. We give thanks.

Perhaps the world will end at the kitchen table, while we are laughing and crying, eating of the last sweet bite.

Here We Have Idaho

Another visit on the backroads of Idaho...

 

 

Along the Palouse, the rolling hills by Moscow, a sunset over Coeur d' Alene Lake, and a house the represents a time long ago.

Back Roads Tour

Today I took a quiet drive south of Spokane through the farm country to Idaho. There are times when you feel you are back in time.

I believe this is the original building in Latah.

 

I love barns, old houses, and small towns.

The Beauty of the Flower Gardens

With July comes the vivid colors of lilies in the garden. Annuals like petunias and geraniums are working hard to produce their own showcase of blooms. Lavender is ready to harvest and some foxgloves are still hanging on in the heat.

Our Annabelle hydrangeas with their cool white and green combination provide a protective hedge near the front of the house away from the hot sun.

 This week-end we had our first trumpet vine blooms.

 There is one hearty red rose that always seems to have blooms and fills the air with a fragrance you don't often get to enjoy in roses these days.

The Beauty of the Vegetable Garden

I usually spend so much time looking for the perfect flowers to photograph that I sometimes ignore the vegetable garden.
 
JEJ is in charge of the vegetables, but today as he was out there weeding I decided to meander around and capture the colors and textures of the vegetable garden.

Dill creates a beauty that stands alone.

The grapes are showing there tiny green clusters.

A lone shirley poppy popped up among the onions.

This hollyhock comes up every year near the beans and the tomatoes are showing their lovely yellow blooms.

Clearwater County

I love the images I caught around Clearwater County during my recent visit for the reunion. Dad used to always call it "God's Country." 

Following the highway along the river gave me an opportunity to capture images of the beauty.

Catching a glimpse of the river by Zan's Beach brought back childhood memories of laying in the sand and swimming the rapids with my dad.

I loved how the sunshine caught on the river as we headed up the river canyon toward Greer.