A Poem for Georgia O'Keeffe, by Penn Kemp

Red Canna, by Georgia O'Keeffe (b. USA), 1923.

A Poem for Georgia O'Keeffe
 
The difference between flowers
that fruit or not is only a nodule
hardening to zucchini, cucumber,
squash or pumpkin, who's to say
from the first broad leaf?
 
Even now in late September
hugely orange arrays
splay about the yard on hose
mandalas rigged for fruit
too late to come by.
 
What's given is accounted for, well
on its way to being eaten. Among
the parasols of pumpkin leaves
chipping sparrows peck for seeds.
 
About us milkweed parachutes silk
dancing as we catch the work, the word as
light play. Patterns. How we toss
to and fro still expectant mid-way
through our lives. Almost mature, almost
coming into our own. Seed potency
 
bursting beyond hard casement
through the boundary of design.

Penn Kemp

London ON performance poet, activist and playwright Penn Kemp is the 40th Life Member of the League of Canadian Poets and their 2015 Spoken Word Artist of the Year. As Writer-in-Residence for Western University, her project was the DVD, Luminous Entrance: a Sound Opera for Climate Change Action, Pendas Productions. Her latest works are two anthologies for the Feminist Caucus Archives of the League of Canadian Poets and the Guild of Canadian Playwrights, to be launched at the Writers’ Summit at Harbourfront in June. Forthcoming is a new collection of poetry, Barbaric Cultural Practice and a play, The Triumph of Teresa Harris. www.mytown.ca/pennkemp