Prairie Promise
If you stand where the two paths cross,
you’ll see bumblebees on bergamot,
blue dragonflies riding tall grasses,
Black-eyed Susans swaying in the wind.
Hold very still to feel heat rise,
cocoon you in summer’s steam,
breathe the scent of Mountain Mint,
taste the honey on your tongue.
If you watch the way a monarch flits
in search of Blazing Stars,
you’ll hear the whisper of its wings,
feel the beat of prairie’s heart.
Promesa de la pradera
Si te paras donde los dos caminos se cruzan,
Verás abejorros en bergamota,
libélulas azules montando pastos altos,
Susanas de ojos negros meciéndose con el viento.
Quédate muy quieto para sentir el calor subir
envuélvete en el vapor del verano,
Respira el aroma de Mountain Mint,
prueba la miel en tu lengua.
Si miras la forma en que revolotea una monarca
en busca de estrellas ardientes,
oirás el susurro de sus alas,
siente el latido del corazón de la pradera.
~ These poems were translated by Maria Lander Cabrere and Eileen LaFontaine. They were narrated by Maggie Gagliardi and Alejandra Camacho.
Susan Coultrap-McQuin is a retired educator, avid gardener, and arts advocate. Recent poems have appeared in a variety of journals and anthologies and have been exhibited in art galleries and parks. Her poems have won awards from the Arts Consortium of Carver County and Wick Poetry Center, Kent State. Her debut chapbook, What We Bring Home, will be published by The Poetry Box this fall.