Blog 7 Sestina

To Mother Nature

To you, my friend:

I've known you for eighteen years tomorrow.

I think that’s quite a long time, but I guess you’d disagree.

After all,

month by month and year by year,

The cycle starts to feel the same.

Winter in this cycle colors the world the same.

Unfortunately, during winter you refuse to be a friend

Of mine. Your bitter coldness at this time of year

Makes me yearn for warmth tomorrow,

an escape from here where all is cold and cold is all.

Then in spring, I remember you’re just as likely to disagree.

Inside I feel your wicked loveliness, and my sinuses scream to disagree.

You force me to see that nothing is the same.

The world is itching to grow, breaking in bloom, and crawling out from all

Of nature. Why can’t you just be my friend

Again? Bring on tomorrow

And end the distress of this year.

Finally, your clock rings the bell and school’s out for the year.

You are radiant, and no one will disagree.

Moments like these, I plan today and every tomorrow

To spend with you in the same

Freshness of summer. Stay with me, friend?

And forget the cycle once and for all…

But, of course, why listen to me? At least autumn is not too bad at all.

In fact, I rather like you this time of year.  

I recognize your face, the face of a friend,

In the trees that bow and the leaves that dance. Ignited, your leaves disagree

On whose flame is brighter. In the end, they light the ground the same.  

Even fire cannot faze you. Onward you go bringing another tomorrow.

And before I realize, tomorrow’s tomorrow

Is here. It’s all time and yet no time at all.

You tread through the cycle same

Year after year.

There’s no point to disagree

Because, my friend,

You bring tomorrow regardless of all

that is today, and no matter your friend who wishes to disagree

each year, you will tread on again just the same. 

My process of revising this poem was reading through it, noting which parts sound really awkward/weird (a lot of parts), and then trying to reword some of those parts without changing the last word in each line. I didn't want to change any of my end words because they were pretty easy to use. Also, I tried to have a message at the end of the poem, and the words tied into my intended message nicely.