Nature Study and Other Poems

by Bre Strobel

NATURE STUDY

Summer

August has a golden hue—

all goldenrod, sunflower,

and sunlight slant

in the light-drenched magic hour.

Ripe tomatoes and succulents bloom;

everything is overgrown,

yet we leave it alone.

Leaves burn crimson

before their fall,

reminding us an ending

can still be beautiful.

Fall

Pink-dappled blue sky,

like a memory

of a summer treat

reflected in a window, glares.

December’s solstice clouds

make you stop and stare–

I was there.

Winter

Green growing

up through last fall’s

overgrown weeds,

even though it’s only

February in Minnesota.

I, too, am all confusion

as new growth takes

over the landscape

of my life.

I wonder:

Will what grows now

be buried again?

Spring

Maybe hope unfurls

like a fern

in the dirt

after patiently waiting

under silt and snow:

resting curled,

reaching slowly

from the shade

toward the sun.

BURNOUT

You will not burn out,

dear one. Do not hide

your softest light.

Let yourself be

an ember,

at times burning bright

when your flame is fanned,

and sometimes a glow

low and warm

for those

who draw close.

BRE STROBEL

Bre Marie Strobel is a homeschool mom married to her high school sweetheart, writing from her home in St. Paul, Minnesota. She writes personal narrative and reflections on faith and culture on her Substack titled Being Beloved. You can follow Bre on Instagram where she writes actively about faith, creativity, culture, and being beloved: @brestrobel.