Vintage Colorado Poetry Poem of the Week First Days of Summer June 21, 2004

Home

Table of Contents

Jim Ciletti is a Colorado Springs bookseller and poet. His playful "Getting the Newspaper from the Lawn" is the 2004 Literal Latte Award poem. Literal Latte: Mind Stimulating Stories, Poems & Essays is published in New York City.

Getting the Newspaper from the Lawn     "I milk the sky and the earth."       H.D. Thoreau I watched this morning's mountain mizzle Misting dewy drizzle slanting Windblown rain scud scud scudding Against windows, across the lawn, Swirling shower soaking garden greens. I smelled this morning's fleshy fragrance Oozing outward from profuse perfumes Pontificating pompously from resplendent ruby roses. Oh!  Yes!  And felt this morning's moisture As tantalizing tufts of chilly dew-damp Spears of grass titillated my tip-toeing toes. I spied this morning's slimy slug's silvery saliva slinking Up the lettuce leaf where the caped culprit sinfully slurped Successive succulent sucks of my Saturday salad. How I tasted this morning's sweet sour saltiness In the lightly stinging tangy bite Radiating from a red rocket radish. Then heard this morning's songbirds chirping Cheerful choruses, celebrating the biblical end Of our desiccating deathly drought.  Alleluia! Oh!  Yes!  Yes!  This richness in reading Heady heart-throbbing headlines Of this mostly wet and wondrous morning As I bow, bend, genuflect; then pick up The soggy news of the world.                               --Jim Ciletti -- (c) 2003  James Ciletti.  Used with the author's permission.