Wren’s nest in a shed near aurora, kim stafford

Three tiny eggs in thistledown

cupped in a swirl of grass

in the pocket of the tool belt

I hung on the wall of the shed

when it finally stood complete–

will be three songs

offering local dignity for

my country enthralled by war

in distant lands.

                          Stand back

cautiously, close the door

tenderly, let the future

ripen, grow wings,

and build songs.

• What does it mean to you to let the future ripen and grow wings? How do you envision a world in which we stood back and let nature do her thing? Explore in your journal.

• What three songs would you offer a world in chaos? Would it be a song about a deer in the garden, a leafy neighborhood tree, a quiet spot by a river. Write three poems/songs, each about a different aspect of nature, and see where your words lead you.

• Where in your life do you need to stand back and stop all your doing? Reflect in your journal.