a.
a foot in boggy fossils
and cousins thrive together
your eyes a slippery flame
—
b.
you play the possum joey
on slick bare trunk
an image for when you’re grown
—
c.
mud on your boots and leggings
you sniff out gold-decked trails
and lead me to new crossings
—
the urban ecology center has three absolutely fantastic sites in milwaukee. check them out whenever you’re in the city.
this is a trio of “found living poems” for my kids, one for each.
green heron edging the prairie
toadflax honey-guide insatiable
the living world still alive
lakeshore state park is surrounded by lake michigan with a view of downtown milwaukee. restored prairie growing over earlier construction debris is the organic highlight–what we can do if we put our collective minds to it.
a.
waxwings hop the grapevines
a whole shrubby world
purple on gold on green
b.
the winds ebb and flow
the stemsea. passing cranes
heard but unseen in the grasses
kettle moraine low prairie state natural area is a wet and wet-mesic prairie in the scuppernong basin, supporting a number of rare plant species.
a.
we are unassuming
as the wildflowers
walls of rain to the west
b.
grasses weave the soil
and layers dazzle the eye
bees doing bee work
scuppernong prairie sna is a wet-mesic prairie with open-grown bur oaks located in the kettle moraine state forest.
unintentional sacrilege
and yellow edges speak
white snakeroot under gray skies
brilliant stand of woodland sunflower
unassuming white snakeroot
spotted touchmenots fade
and mayapple rots as it stands
looking for the Faraway
spotted touch-me-nots fading
mayapple decomposing as it stands
waves crash, children sing
as the world seems to be burning
golden torches in the wood
goldenrod in the understory
michigami
jewelweed nods agreement
as Turtle marches on
clear sky thru oak leaves
jewelweed
turtle effigy mound facing south
trail to turtle creek
turtle creek
our welcome sign
Thanks to the City of Beloit for maintaining this area and preserving this effigy mound (and the smaller mound to the east).
the rock calls us home
evening primrosing with open arms
waves and waves of petal
(Some evening primrose and field bindweed growing in the prairie and its edge.)
Rock River Prairie SNA is a dry prairie above the Rock River b/t Janesville and Beloit. Lots of grasses and flowers, though woody species are encroaching. Still great for a walk, and several first IDs on flowers. Thanks to the Wisconsin DNR for tending this plot of earth.
redwings and frogs in the rushes
call—croak—call
earthtime marshmusic
porcupine lumbers clumsy
a nameless karst swale
into his whitecedar root home
silence all around
the ridges sanctuary was the first land trust set up in wisconsin, in 1937. among other features, the main point of interest is the series of ridges and swales that resulted from the lowering of lake michigan’s shoreline. due to its ancient history, its southward facing, and its proximity to lake michigan, the ridges contain largely boreal forests similar to those found far northwest in wisconsin, while the swales mostly contain marsh and bog flora. they are a sight to behold. this unique ecosystem makes the site one with a high ratio of rare plants in the midwest. –oh, and we saw a porcupine!
special thanks to the ridges sanctuary, inc. for protecting this site for almost a century!
photo credit on amanita above and porcupine: mamie riyeff again
Jacob Riyeff 