What tells you ripeness, Love? What tells you wonder?
To green a bud to bloom, to burst, to plunder Spring’s
Dear light. Who is most wonderful? Who struts
In chartreuse dress, rose crepuscule and full finesse?
Who shakes you low and shakes you high, with bright
Fruit, fan, and mango husk. Whose orange is as orange
Does, and tiger-lily-stars the air. Whose grace espouses
Heft and hue? Who does things better? Summer. You.
This poem is from Pangyrus’s poetry collection, What Tells You Ripeness: Black Poets on Nature, Edited by Nikki Wallschlaeger (available in our store).
Image: Photo by Victoria Chen on Unsplash, licensed under CC 2.0.
Danielle Legros Georges’ most recent book is Island Heart (Subpress Collective, 2021), translations of the poems of Haitian-French writer Ida Faubert. Legros Georges is a Professor of Creative Writing at Lesley University. She was appointed the second Poet Laureate of the city of Boston, serving in the role between 2015 and 2019. For more about her work, visit daniellelegrosgeorges.com.
Latest posts by Danielle Legros Georges (see all)
- Summer. You. - August 31, 2021