I did it! I wrote a short poem for every day of the summer. A notebook in my Evernote app called “2017 Summer Shorts Poems” now holds 93 of this summer’s daily photos and their accompanying verses.
That I even completed this amazes me. But that I enjoyed it to the last day amazes even more. I think the secret of finishing was that my expectations were low. The poems are all short. I didn’t write every day but did take daily photos and then caught up with the poem-writing when I had the time and the inspiration. And I never got too far behind.
Today I share with you yesterday’s photo and poem of farewell to summer. The photo prompt was “Goodnight Moon.”
Capture Your 365 photo for September 21, 2017: “Goodnight Moon” (© 2017 by V. Nesdoly)
Farewell to Summer
Goodnight moon of blushing gold.
Farewell drowsy heat of noon.
Mornings now are crisp and cold
falling leaves and frost come soon.
Autumn’s winds and rains are bold
I would love a summer rune.
Through these lines your charms I’ll hold
till you come again next June.
© 2017 by Violet Nesdoly (All rights reserved)
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This post is linked to the Poetry Friday, hosted today by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater at The Poem Farm where on Tuesday she celebrated the actual birth day of her new book Read! Read! Read!
Violet Nesdoly / poems 
bookseedstudio
September 22, 2017 at 6:22 am
Wow! You should feel summerly long into fall with this poem a day achievement, Violet. And what a lovely journal to be able to look back upon when chill winter comes calling. Brava!
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Violet Nesdoly
September 22, 2017 at 2:19 pm
Thank you! That’s what this project has turned out to be—a summer journal.
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jama
September 22, 2017 at 9:52 am
Kudos to you for meeting this summer writing challenge! Enjoyed your summer farewell poem, and what a gorgeous peach! 🙂
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Violet Nesdoly
September 22, 2017 at 2:21 pm
Thank you, Jama. I agree, a gorgeous peach! We have very few peach trees here and the fruits on this one, seen over a wooden fence as high as a well, surprised me when I noticed them a week or two ago. I think we had the perfect summer for growing peaches though, hot and sunny.
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Brother & Sister
September 22, 2017 at 10:16 am
Violet… you have written a lovely little poem, and the picture and the idea of Goodnight Moon are all fun. Good for you for finishing your challenge!
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Violet Nesdoly
September 22, 2017 at 3:40 pm
Thank you, Brother & Sister! I’m enjoying that sense of “I did it…”
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Brenda Davis Harsham
September 22, 2017 at 10:57 am
Wow, that is amazing! I didn’t write that much that was original this summer, but I revised and revised again. The first draft is the sweetest, like your summer peach.
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Violet Nesdoly
September 22, 2017 at 2:22 pm
Thanks, Brenda,
Revision is often harder and more draining than first drafts. Hope all yours pay off in some great news one of these days!
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Brenda Davis Harsham
September 22, 2017 at 7:24 pm
Thanks, Violet. I keep working toward it.
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Kay McGriff (@kaymcgriff)
September 22, 2017 at 11:24 am
Woohoo! That’s impressive to photograph and write every day for the summer. Your poem is a lovely ode to the end of summer. I’m looking forward to those crisp, fall mornings., and more consistent writing habits for me.
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Violet Nesdoly
September 22, 2017 at 2:23 pm
Thank you, Kay. Now that I’ve made peace with summer leaving, I know I’ll enjoy autumn as much as any season… the coolness and the lovely colours. Bring it on!
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Tabatha
September 22, 2017 at 11:32 am
I love “drowsy heat of noon.” Such an apt description. Congratulations on your successful summer of writing!
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Violet Nesdoly
September 22, 2017 at 2:39 pm
Thank you, Tabatha! (It actually doesn’t feel like I wrote that much, but it does feel wonderful to finish something you start!)
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Linda Mitchell
September 22, 2017 at 12:44 pm
WOW! Many, many congratulations. I’m so impressed and happy for you. That photo really made me want to take a bite of that peach (or, is it an apple?). I love how the fruit is the orange glowing moon we are saying goodbye to. Perfect.
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Violet Nesdoly
September 22, 2017 at 2:43 pm
Thank you, Linda. It is a peach—a rare fruit for our region. Apples are more common. The “goodnight moon” prompt had me stumped for a while. I spent much of my walk gazing at the sky for some sight of a ghosty daytime moon. But then I came to the conclusion, anything round would do, I saw that orange orb, the idea for a poem came and… done!
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Buffy Silverman
September 22, 2017 at 6:49 pm
Congratulations–that’s a wonderful achievement (someday I hope to have such discipline!) And thanks for sharing your peach of a poem.
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Violet Nesdoly
September 23, 2017 at 6:01 am
Aw, thanks Buffy! Much appreciated.
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katswhiskers
September 22, 2017 at 8:45 pm
I’m curious… Is this the change of your seasons, now (late September?) I notice a lot of people are posting Autumn poems – and your post makes it sound like yesterday was the last day of summer.
Your peach photo is making me hungry. It teams up so well with Heidi’s poem this week – and perfectly compliments the blushing gold. And I love how ‘drowsy noon’ hints at the downy peach.
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Violet Nesdoly
September 23, 2017 at 6:00 am
Thanks, Katswhiskers. Yes, you’ve got that seasonal thing right. On June 21st my calendar has the words “Summer Solstice.” On September 21st, “Autumnal Equinox.” Including and between those two dates is the season we call summer (no matter what the weather). I suppose it’s exactly opposite for you in Australia? Would the time between those dates be your winter?
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katswhiskers
September 23, 2017 at 2:21 pm
Oh wow. So – do the dates for season changes then CHANGE – every year? Or is it always the 21st? Australian seasons are opposite, yes – but also marked by the calendar months. So – Dec/Jan/Feb are summer, March/April/May are autumn… and our new season (spring) kicked in on the 1st of September. Kind of simple and effective. 🙂
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Violet Nesdoly
September 23, 2017 at 3:11 pm
Yes, Kat, they change a little bit. Last year the first day of summer (summer solstice) was on June 20th, first day of autumn (autumnal equinox) on September 22nd. In 2015 SS was on June 21st, AE on September 23.
This article explains the business of solstices and equinoxes: http://www.weather.gov/cle/seasons
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katswhiskers
September 23, 2017 at 6:47 pm
Thanks, Violet. So fascinating. (And a little confusing, one would think?) I will check out that link!
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Michelle Kogan Illustration, Painting & Writing
September 23, 2017 at 8:36 pm
Lovely, closing summer poem Violet–I can feel the summers bold colors fading away and falls rich earth-tones creeping in. I like your peach/moon exchange, and the image with a wisp of red in the vine and changing leaves works very well. Congrats on completing your Summer poems!
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Violet Nesdoly
September 24, 2017 at 5:51 am
Thanks, Michelle! Appreciate your artist’s eye evaluation of the photo composition… probably a happy accident but pleased you think it works. 🙂
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amyludwigvanderwater
September 25, 2017 at 2:32 pm
“Farewell drowsy heat of noon”
What a beautiful photograph, poem, and project. And I am not surprised by how much you loved it. How magical it is to find the great stores of imagination within us…when we discipline ourselves with ritual. I am working to discipline myself with ritual during these fall days… Peace. x
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Violet Nesdoly
September 25, 2017 at 7:15 pm
Thanks, Amy, and also thanks for hosting this week. I love how you put that: “How magical it is to find the great stores of imagination within us… when we discipline ourselves with ritual.” So true!
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Laura Purdie Salas
September 30, 2017 at 5:34 am
Oh my gosh–this is lovely! What a project, Violet. Congratulations!
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