2 minute read
Field Notes: Poetry Inspired by Nature
By: David Starkey, Founding Director of Santa Barbara City College's Creative Writing Program
Melinda Palacio is the Poet Laureate of Santa Barbara. She is the author of the novel “Ocotillo Dreams” and the poetry collections “Folsom Lockdown”; “How Fire Is a Story, Waiting”; and “Bird Forgiveness.” Look for her new column, “Poetry Connection,” on Independent.com.
Reflecting on her poem, Palacio notes, “A visit to Santa Barbara Botanic Garden means renewal and opportunities for self-care. On my last visit, I noticed the sign and was impressed by how fierce the bees were buzzing and working. From educators to insects, so much work goes into maintaining the Garden. I decided to write about the balance of work and play by taking time out to enjoy the grounds and songbirds.”
A Visit to the Botanic Garden
Wander without map, plan, or name tag,
unlike the bees who hive by a white sign:
Bees Working • Abejas Trabajando.
Out of an oval opening in a coastal oak,
an ecstasy of bees exits.
Their zigzags draw me closer and I wonder:
How brave would I have to be to put my hand in
the tree’s crevice, extract hard-earned sweetness?
I mind my manners.
Last year’s sting lingers as most wounds do.
I leave the honeybees to their work.
Enter the raised courtyard.
A young mother feeds her baby,
pale breast in hand, she smiles
as her older daughter frolics free.
I circle back towards the grove of redwoods.
Renewed in the stillness of a forest bath,
a towhee’s song sets the world straight.
Soon other voices join joyous:
goldfinches, orioles, sparrows.
As if to say, all’s well in the world today.
- Melinda Palacio
