a hoary aspen clutches the gorge-side
as the lake’s whisper breaks on the ear:
this sea will be here long after us
one more state natural area left in milwaukee county…
State Natural Area Poems
state natural area poems #2a: warnimont bluff fens
[this first installment reflects that i was not permitted access to the actual site–for my own safety and the safety of the rare and delicate plant communities that inhabit the bluffs]
your calcareous fens too rare
the dnr won’t let us find you–
i respect the hell out of that
Warnimont Bluff Fens–home to a thriving community of state-threatened False Asphodel
Thanks again, Milwaukee County, for caring for this land for us.
state natural area poems #1: Cudahy Woods
shagbark hickory up the rise
skunk cabbage strains its spathe–
early risers awash in sun
A beautiful example of old forest strangely right next to Mitchell Airport–dry-mesic, mesic, and lowland forest. Here’s the skunk cabbage we found!
Thank you, Milwaukee County Parks for tending this patch of earth for us.
New Project for the Pandemic Era…
To maintain sanity, encounter the natural world in my area, and keep the literary instincts moving if not honed, I’m going to start a new project here and on Twitter. (Yes, I’m on Twitter now at @riyeff–those who know me personally will be shocked, I’m sure!)
I’m going to visit the State Natural Areas of Milwaukee County and the four adjacent counties to practice social distancing but also maintain an intimate connection to the natural spaces around my neck of the woods. Then to try to forge some kind of virtual connection with anyone who’s interested, I’ll take a photo and make an impromptu three-line poem (not a haiku unless by accident), posting them here and on Twitter. Maybe other folks will share theirs from other natural areas?
That’s the idea; we’ll see where it goes…
Jacob Riyeff 