Notes About The Poem
The original text was an essay I wrote in 1993 for a college composition class. I later revised that essay into a smaller piece for a local writing contest, then I fashioned the first part of the original essay into this found poem. I plan to rewrite the remaining essay into another found poem (part 2). I wasn't sure how to copyright this poem.
Seasons Change: A Found Poem
I sit on a familiar ledge-rock
Perched above the timber- a sentry standing guard
Watching over the woods and my home.
I say woods. Truly it’s
Eighty acres of scrubby, crimson brush
Straggly evergreen trees
Oaks with golden coats
Limestone glades that drop into
Deep gullies.
Once this was part of the deeply timbered
Ozark hills,
Sparsely populated with a few rugged families
Of Scotch-Irish descent
Homesteaders from the Appalachian south
Things have changed this landscape.
From the crest of my hill, I see
The lake below, in full view-
Miles of lovely blue and white water,
Stirred by a gentle breeze,
And the cove’s shore- my cove
My home-
A fishing resort: six cabins, dock, pool
Half hidden by a thicket of glorious colors.
Too soon the leaves will fade and fall.
Bits of the buildings appear in the
Cracks between the cedars and oaks.
The Redbud and Dogwood, that in Spring
Checker the slopes in pink and white, today
Blend reddish-brown leaves with
Autumn wildflowers peppered across the hillsides:
Yellow Goldenrod, aromatic Aster’s blue hues, and tall standing Ironweed’s vivid
Purple and magenta flowers.
Willowleaf Sunflowers bloom until frost.
Countless numbers of bees and butterflies
Make a final run at the daisy-like Sneezeweed, before
The cold rains of November chase them to
Warmer places.
At the base of this steep slope, this rough, rock-strewn land,
Grassy green patches are held in place by several
Rocked-up retaining walls,
Built by my father to separate the wilderness from
My home.
The sun travels across the sky into my face.
The slight breeze intensifies.
I take a last look at it all before heading home.
Taken altogether, joy fills my soul.
Original Text©? 1993 Michelle Waters
This poem©? 2026 Michelle Waters
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