by Cheryl, Gulf Coast Poet

I Remember Rainbows

Photo by Harry Quan from Unsplash.

“Hope is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul

And sings the tune without the words

And never stops at all“

— Emily Dickinson

Many people are wondering whether it is too late to restore the environment to health. I don’t know the answer, but I HOPE that it is not too late! The poem below is the last of my three environment-themed Halloween Sonnets.

I Remember Rainbows

I live today on earth, a shabby place,

in dreary post-apocalyptic haze,

but I remember glowing rainbow hues,

and sunny skies above, quite clear and blue,

and even if my skies are grey today,

lush rainbow colors flood my dreams always!

No fish are swimming in polluted streams;

in dreams, clear rivers flow to shining seas.

No birds are singing in the leafless trees,

but dream-birds nest in trees of verdant green!

Though even weeds can’t bloom in sterile clay,

I dream of vivid flowers every day

where dream-bees feed in joyous, playful scenes,

and I remember rainbows in my dreams.

Photo by Angelo Casto from Unsplash.
Photo by Nuno Antunos from Unsplash.

Copyright© 2021 by Cheryl Batavia

64 Comments

  4. So beautiful and sad, Cheryl! I too share your hope that it is not too late. I can’t understand how everyone is still sleepwalking and not questioning the way we live, and the changes we will need to make in order to save the planet. 🌈

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    1. I agree, Michel! The earth is still a magnificent and beautiful place. There is a lot to enjoy and preserve as well as many wounds to heal. One dreamy place that comes to mind is your lovely garden. ❤ I hope you are enjoying beautiful fall weather.

      Love ❤
      Cheryl

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    1. Chin up, David! The earth is still a beautiful and wonderful place to be enjoyed and preserved. I believe that much of the damage can be undone. The most depressing thing to me is the selfishness and greed of people who choose to exploit and destroy the birthright of future generations!

      Sometimes I feel powerless, but I vote, write, and recycle. And I hope.

      Thank you for reading and commenting. ❤ Take care!

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    1. Thank you, Mousumi, for your kind and thoughtful remarks! It is certainly apparent now that we all need to work together! Each of us can do what is in our power, however small that may seem. I like the very universal symbol of a burning candle in your comment.

      Hope things are going well for you! ❤

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  9. It’s never too late, Cheryl for course correction. Your concerns for nature are genuine, but I loved the verses, e.g. …dream-birds nest in trees of verdant green. A beautiful sonnet, and amazing pics 👌💖🙏

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    1. KK, It means so much and makes me so happy that you like the post! Thank you for sharing your thoughts. ❤ Yes, I think that most of the earth's wounds can be healed if each of us does our part and nations work together. We can preserve the beauty for future generations. ❤

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  10. Thanks for this poem. It touched my heart. You have artfully and beautifully expressed the joy and the sadness of our environmental condition. A Republican senator has taken the initiative to gut the infrastructure bill of its economic incentives to reduce the use of coal in the production of electricity, thereby dealing another blow to the environment. Despite this recent setback, I won’t give up hope. I love this poem and the pictures, especially the rainbow eye at the top.

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    1. Thank you, David, for sharing your valuable perspectives. My father always warned us as children, “Don’t cut off your nose to spite your face!” I wish we could convince our leaders of that folksy bit of wisdom. How short-sighted can you be? We can never give up hope! 🙂

      I am so happy that you liked the sonnet and the photos. Thank you for your beautiful response! Have a great day! ❤

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  12. Beautifully written dear Cheryl with such lyrical lines expressing all of our concerns and love of our planet. I too remember when. There is so much beauty amidst the struggles we are all facing with our climate change and somehow I trust that our world will continue to flourish as it shakes the earth under our feet to wake up. 💖💖💖

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    1. Thank you, Cindy, for your beautiful remarks! I watched a documentary about a project planting giant sequoia trees further north to escape global warming and establish more sequoia groves using cuttings from the original trees. They said that 90% of these ancient trees have already been cut in California. Unfortunately, my grandfather, in his youth, was a logger in those forests.

      I believe that the earth’s wonders can be preserved and the damaged areas of the earth can be restored. I don’t think there is any magic bullet to solve all problems, but many projects tailored to local conditions. Individual responsibility and global cooperation are also key, I think.

      Have a fantastic day, Cindy! ❤ ❤ ❤

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      1. You’re so welcome Cheryl. It’s a huge issue alright and your poem helps raise awareness so TY!
        Your grandfathers generation would have had no idea the impact be we do so we need to make every effort to work together on every level! 💕🙏💕♥️🥰

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      1. You are welcome, Cheryl. Yes, all is well. I hope you doing doing OK? the last time I read from you, your partner was going to get eye surgery. How did that go? Is he healed now?

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      1. I want you to know that life is all about solving problems and overcoming challenges. Just when you have jumped one hurdle, the next one rolls around. Stay positive and do the best you can. All the best to you both!

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  16. “dream-bees” Quite the visual…I recently finished reading a book: The History of Bees – a Novel” by Maja Lunde. It reminds me of what your poem is alluding to: the disappearance of these mighty insects.
    You might be interested in it, even though it has a darkish tone…

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    1. Thank you, Laura, for your informative comment. I have not read this book, but it sounds interesting. I have seen a couple of documentaries.

      Honey bees are not native to North America but were brought here by European settlers to pollinate their crops and produce honey. Bees that left the farmers’ hives soon established wild populations. Recent collapses of domestic bee colonies in orchards are a threat to citrus crops. It is believed that bees are dying because of pesticides.

      Thank you Laura for commenting on this issue and recommending the book! Have a great day!

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  17. I share your hopes, as well, Cheryl! I believe we can restore our planet back to health by being responsible for our actions and showing our gratitude for the beauty around us. I’m sorry to hear Robert’s surgery has been postponed and send good wishes for the future.

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  18. Thank you for this much needed series, Cheryl. I think nature can heal, but I don’t know if it will be with humans or without humans. Mother Earth might be better off without us. But the more damage we do, the longer the healing will take. And the adaptations might end up looking very different. I hope we wise up and work harder to clean up our mess and change our ways.

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    1. I certainly love rainbows, and I believe rainbows are always associated with positive things. In this poem the rainbow is a symbol of hope, much like the Noah’s ark story in the Bible. The poem as a whole is about saving the environment before it is too late.Thank you for reading and commenting. All the best!

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