Reflections on a Natural World: Three Works by Guest Poet Dayle Olson
This week, guest poet Dayle Olson returns to The Renaissance Garden Guy with three short works that brilliantly – and lovingly – demonstrate her keen awareness, appreciation, and respect for the natural world’s glories, no matter their size, and no matter their scope.
Hey, RGG readers and subscribers, Dayle Olson is back! The widely published and highly acclaimed writer and poet, who made her incredibly well-received debut here on The Renaissance Garden Guy in February of 2023 (“Nature’s Grace: Guest Poet Dayle Olson’s Wondrous Reflections”), returns this week with three gorgeous new poems. Each of these works is a testament to Ms. Olson’s love of nature, and her ability to discern its poignancy and power at every level. With Dickinsonian sensitivity and skill, Dayle Olson reveals nature’s most intimate wonders, and, transcending boundaries that exist beyond even that legendary poet’s storied range, engages in a dialog with the natural world that more than hints at the copious glories that reside within her own heart. Dayle Olson is a brilliant poet. The three short, evocative works that follow prove this point beyond the shadow of any doubt.
J.G.S., November, 2023
Bird Count
Dayle Olson
Christmas day is coming for
the Junco with dark eyes,
the Chickadee in his black cap,
and Great Horned Owl wise.
We count the Anna’s Hummingbird
who sips the nectar cold,
the Wigeon and the Wood Duck
in plumage bright and bold.
The suet is a Christmas feast
for Nuthatch and for Flicker.
Fox Sparrow, scratching, spies a grub
but Towhee gets it quicker.
On Christmas Day the Snow Geese glide
beside the Bufflehead.
Glad tidings from the Varied Thrush
and from the Robins red.
The Waxwing with his festive crest,
the Scrub Jay blue as sky,
on Christmas morning come to feed
then off again they fly.
How wonderful it is to count
our many feathered friends,
to celebrate their wild lives
now as the old year ends.
“Bird Count” © 2023. Dayle Olson
I Am in the Woods, Like You
Dayle Olson
I started out just like you,
pushing through the underbrush,
crawling over rotting logs,
keeping a sharp eye out for a path.
I ate things that made me sick,
and things that stank
and felt the sting of nettles on my legs.
The watchful eyes of birds
and creatures in their boroughs
lit the way.
They made the aloneness less heavy.
I travelled through the forest
as you do now,
and learned not just of trees,
but of myself.
Keep moving
and the way will show itself.
Clear stones to guard the stumbling feet
of those who walk on moonless nights.
“I Am in the Woods, Like You”” © 2023. Dayle Olson
Insider Spider
Dayle Olson
The secret life you weave
near the ceiling corner
tells me little about your
architectural dreams,
for your silk is of such fine quality
it can’t be seen,
which, of course, is by design.
My fretful afternoon
is somehow anchored and calmed
by your watchful, leggy self.
Today the rain pummeled the windows,
the barometer dipped
and you escaped to a dark place,
perhaps to catch up on your sleep
or to visit an ailing relative.
Don’t stay away past tomorrow –
or, if you must, send a friend
to web-sit in your absence.
“Insider Spider” © 2023. Dayle Olson
Dayle Olson (she/her) hosts a poetry open mic in a small river town in Southwest Washington. Her poetry has appeared in RAIN Magazine, The Salal Review, North Coast Squid Magazine, And Other Poems, Thin Veil Press, Haunted Words Press, The Renaissance Garden Guy, and Timber Ghost Press. She is active in The Writer’s Guild of Astoria and hosts a monthly radio program, River Writers, on KMUN 91.9. For fun, she makes pocket zines filled with tiny poems and nature drawings. She lives with her husband, David, and one opinionated cat.
As always, my dear readers and subscribers, it’s an absolute honor and pleasure to feature Dayle’s remarkable work here on The Renaissance Garden Guy. I hope you’ve enjoyed these three lovely poems as much as I’ve enjoyed them, and that, like me, you’re looking forward to Dayle’s next RGG visit. Please feel free to come back anytime to read Dayle’s poetry. All of her RGG contributions, along with those of each of the other brilliant RGG contributors, can be found in Guest Writers and Contributors. I also encourage you to follow Dayle on X (Twitter) to find links to her other published works. Simply put, our guest poet Dayle Olson is a fabulous talent, and I highly recommend reading all of her published work – not just what she’s contributed here on The Renaissance Garden Guy. Explore her bio (above), follow her on X (Twitter), click the links to her other works, and get ready to experience more of the burgeoning artistry of this amazingly gifted writer and poet.
Thank you, my dear readers and subscribers, for your readership and your kind interest. It is dearly appreciated.
Cheers, and Happy Gardening!
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Superb writing, beautiful poetry… enjoyed reading them multiple times. What could be more beautiful then the love for nature?! Thank you for sharing this beauty with us🙏🌹🌹🌹
I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed Dayle’s work, Roxxy. She’s a remarkable talent. I share your appreciation of nature, Roxxy, and your appreciation of Dayle’s appreciation of nature! Dayle so effectively conveys her connection to the natural world (and its inhabitants) in her work that I can actually feel what she’s feeling with respect to the subject of each of her poems. Her poetry is transporting – I’m taken to both wide open glorious spaces and secret realms when I read her work. I’m so glad that you too can rejoice in Dayle’s love and respect for nature. Her writing makes such elation real. Thank you again, Roxxy.
Your comments really touched my heart, Roxxy. Thank you for taking time to read my poetry!
Such beautiful thoughts of nature. Dayle reminds me that we all need to stop and take a closer look at the world around us. Thanks for sharing and reminding me.
Thank you for reading Dayle’s poetry, Kevin, and thank you for commenting here. You’re right. There are natural worlds, both large and small, all around us – universes, actually – which show themselves and open wide to those patient and curious enough to look closely. Dayle’s intimate connection to these worlds is relayed beautifully in the three works she’s contributed here. Thanks once again, Kevin.
Thank you for your thoughtful comments, Kevin. I’m so happy these poems connected with you.
I like all three poems. My favorite is Bird Count. It inspires me to start taking notes and counting our birds! Thank you, Dayle. Thank you, John
I thought the exact same thing when I first read the poem, Lane! Dayle’s intimate connection to nature is definitely amplified through her poetry. Her passion really is infectious. Thanks so much, Lane, for reading the works and for leaving your thoughts here today. Your interest is greatly appreciated.
Thank you, Lane! It is fun to notice all the birds who come to visit in the winter. I’m so glad you enjoyed this poem.
Thanks to Dayle and John. Lovely thoughts as we are in the holiday season. Much to appreciate.
Agreed, Rick. There’s just something about great poetry that’s so moving and powerful… For me, it has a centering, self-reflective effect and it makes all of life’s impending scenarios and situations shine with a different, brighter light. Dayle’s poetry is indeed a fitting prelude to the holiday season. Thank you for leaving your kind thoughts, Rick. They’re very truly appreciated.
Thank you for reading my poems, Rick. There is something about this time of year that moves us to pause and reflect. I am so glad these poems struck a chord with you.
Lovely works. Thank you both for sharing.
Thank you so much, Eva. I’m glad you’ve enjoyed Dayle’s work. She is a remarkable talent, and it’s entirely my pleasure and honor to feature these lovely selections here. Thanks once again, Eva.
I’m so glad these poems found a place in your day, Eva. Thank you for your kind words.
Well put, John. Dayle’s poems are a beautiful dialog with nature. So enjoyed reading her work, a quiet celebration of the comforting nature of nature. I am following her on X.
I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed these beautiful works, Jill. Thank you so much for your lovely thoughts on Dayle’s gorgeous poetry. Her relationship with nature – her respect for it – is entirely evident in these poems. I’m simultaneously comforted and transfixed by her words, and I thank you again for yours, Jill.
Your comments touched my heart, Jill. Thank you for taking time to read my poems.