Monday, April 01, 2013

Mary Lee Hahn - Green Door

Green Door
by
Mary Lee Hahn

I’m searching for
the green door.
Behind it, stashed,
is spring warmth.

Behind the green
door flowers bloom,
sun is shining,
no more gloom

of grey cloud skies
and winter snow,
of ice and slush
and frozen toes.

When I find the
door I’ll fling
it open wide and
in we’ll spring.

©2013 Mary Lee Hahn. All rights reserved.

Yay! It's National Poetry Month and 30 Poets/30 Days, and Mary Lee Hahn's poem has flung open the doors for a month of poetic joy for us all.

It occurs to me that some of you may not know Mary Lee's poetry. Instead, you might know her as half of the A Year of Reading duo or as a teacher or the Poetry Friday organizing dynamo. In fact, I didn't know Mary Lee wrote poetry when I first got to cyber-know her years ago. But she does! Oh, indeed she does!

Now published in both the Poetry Friday Anthologies (for K-5 and middle school), I predict it won't be long before we're seeing Mary Lee Hahn authored collections. She has a way with phrasing and imagery that can often take my breath away and a startling ability to make me see the world through her eyes. And I find that I truly like the view, one reason I'm so happy to have here here today kicking off 30 Poets/30 Days.

Mary Lee's started us off with (a) spring in our steps, I dare say. Tomorrow... Kelly Fineman asks Where Are Your Shoes? For more on 30 Poets/30 Days and ways to follow along, please click here.

20 comments:

BookChook said...

Despite the fact that autumn's chill is creeping into my bones right now, I loved it. Thank you, Mary Lee!

Carol said...

A metaphor that first surprised me, then made me think, "Perfect!"

laurasalas said...

What a terrific metaphor--one I've never ever seen before, despite reading probably thousands of "spring" poems. Leave it to Mary Lee to come up with a fresh and beautiful spin!

Tara @ A Teaching Life said...

Just what I needed for this April first day...I am ready to spring, for Spring!

skanny17 said...

Oh yes!! Well done, Mary Lee. I, too, am yearning to find that green door! I agree with everything Greg said in his intro to your work!! Keep writing your poems so we can learn even more from you. I'm a fan!
Janet F.
(See you in Texas!)

Linda B said...

I think our 'door' is finally open, Mary Lee. What a wonderful way to give us to think about spring!

Anonymous said...

Yay! This lovely poem popped into my Inbox and I knew then that FINALLY, April (and spring) had arrived!

Carrie F said...

This was beautiful, and a lovely way to begin poetry month. I'm ready to do some flinging myself -- doors, windows, dirt, words. Spring is here!

Andromeda Jazmon said...

Yes I think I am staring at that green door today... Alleluia!! Thanks Mary Lee for starting us off!

catherinemjohnson.com said...

Beautiful poem, Mary. Your writing style us perfect for Spring.

Buffy Silverman said...

Love your green door, Mary Lee. Such a unique and wonderful perspective! Reading this poem made me feel that the door was opening and spring warmth around the other side (until I looked outside and saw gray skies and...flurries? Come on Michigan, look at the calendar!)

tanita✿davis said...

It's both cold AND wet at the moment, so this poem suits me right down to my shivering toes.

Heidi Mordhorst said...

Like Laura said, we thought there were no more metaphors for spring--and then you flung one open! I envisioned the green door both as solid and as a curtain of weeping willow...

A fine start to 30 days of poems at GottaBook!

Linda said...

Beautifully done, Mary Lee!

Mary Lee said...

Thanks, everyone, for all of your kind words! It's been a great honor to kick off this year's 30 Poets 30 Days!! Thank you, Greg, for inviting me!

Amy LV said...

"Behind it, stashed,
is spring warmth."

I adore this. Mary Lee - I swear that Mother Nature whispers right in your ear. I just SEE this poem. Thank you!

xo, a.

Renee LaTulippe said...

Beautifully done, Mary Lee! You do have a unique way of seeing that is always surprising and thought-provoking. Lovely. :)

Ed DeCaria said...

Mary Lee, I love the "green door" metaphor. Thanks for sharing this. -Ed

April Halprin Wayland said...

Fabulous metaphor. I'm there with you, waiting to open that door, Mary Lee!

Charles Waters said...

Ahhh ... 30/30 back in da house! I met Mary Lee at NCTE '11 and found her as lovely as her poems!