June

A new month, a new banner, another prompt

Thank you, Chris Alleyne, for providing the first of our “photo contest” banners!

Other participants in the contest shouldn't give up hope; several photos are saved for future months, and I’m still accepting new photos.

“I wonder what it would be like to live in a world where it was always June.” ― L. M. Montgomery, Anne of the Island

June is a childhood month — school lets out, vacation begins, days are long and lazy.

Except, everything is different this year — a year that is already overburdened with illness, death, financial despair, and now riots. School hasn’t been “in” for a few months. No final days. No hugs good-bye. No graduation ceremonies.

It’s not the month I remember from my childhood, which is one of the reasons I chose this particular photo. It reminds me of my childhood Junes in Virginia, living on a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay.

June was the beginning of hot days spent swimming, water skiing, boating, and sunbathing on towels draped down long wooden piers that jutted into Lodge Creek, while birds, like this one, watched us from atop the pilings.

But, my summer was not the summer of many. I lived in an area where residents, including children, spent long hot hours fishing, crabbing, and working in the fields. I was fortunate to only have housework as a responsibility. Others, particularly those of color, were much less fortunate.

Our June, this June of 2020, is not one of innocence. It is one of pain, sorrow, fear, and anger. As I think about it, it’s not unlike the Summer of 1969:

Will the Summer of 2020 be as revolutionary as the Summer of 1969? How will this story end?

Weeds & Wildflowers already has one writing prompt for the month, Celebration Memories:

Now, I’d like to add another one that will commemorate this June of 2020 in all its pain and promise: the prompt is simply:

Poems of June 2020

Write poetry about what this historic June is to you — the good, the bad, and the ugly — the big news being played out on TV and computer screens across the world and the living room story only you see.

What will this June be to you?

Feel free to write more than one poem. I’d like to see how our vision of June changes from the first day to the 30th.

And, here is my favorite summertime song:

As usual, I am tagging our contributors here. If you are a Weeds & Wildflowers writer and your name is not below, please know it’s a simple oversight that can be easily corrected by responding that your name was omitted.

If you are not a writer for Weeds & Wildflowers and would like to be added, you may also comment below.

Let’s write!

Tracy Aston Deborah Christensen The Solitary Cook Jack Herlocker Erik Smith Harper Thorpe Annie Littlewolf Sherry Kappel Anna Rozwadowska Louise Peacock Mark Starlin Hank Eng Ré Harris Francine Fallara Terijo Wild Flower nan fischer Susan Christiana antoinette nevitt Agnes Louis Nancy Peckenham Rusty Alderson wistfulwanderer Jk Mansi Guérin Asante Joseph Massey Tien Skye Jane Vogel Louis Hart Bridget Webber J. Criswell Captain Argentina Edd Jennings Kathy Jacobs Erica Graham Vaishali Paliwal Tanya Bryan David S. Dana Sanford Beth Bruno Anisesh Linda Caroll Christina Ward 🌼 Heidi Franklin Joan Evans Pam Nolan Shringi Kumari Erika Burkhalter Sam Kimberle Samantha Beach Anne Shark Nyaalo Mia Kat of Magik Farah Egby Maymuuna Aisha Juweria Zoomedin Samia Shruti Sinha Kushal Poddar Lori McCray Joe Pregadio Bre Bitz Marcia Laycock Zarina Dara 🥀💃🏻 Jessica Archuleta Lorna Ye Priyanka Srivastava David Wade Chambers Jenny Justice Lynette Clements Michelle Ewens Matthew Klope Leandro Teixeira Edie Tuck Christopher Bellkirk Susie Taylor Sylvia Clare MSc. Psychol Kris W Leon Justcallmejillybean Urszula Humienik Ann Litts Amang ＊大野芒＊水生花 Teddie Voss Matt Clarke Moriana Delgado Joanne Rigbye Lin Ro Brett Christensen Dascha Paylor Matt Booth Laura Manipura Carolyn Riker Joseph-Patrick McCain Ryan O’Neal Jr. Lynne Nardizzi Gretchen Lee Bourquin 💗POM-poet!💗 Christina Barber A. Christine Myers Scarlett Braden Tapan Avasthi ⛄️ Lisa Bolin Ray Burton Rosalind.J. Lee Noble Dias Martie Sirois Janet Chilton Somsubhra Banerjee Audrey Webster Linda A Robinson, PhD Kim Smyth Louise Foerster Tasneem Kagalwalla ALI YUSUF Katherine Pollock Pamela J. Nikodem, MS Terry Barr Sylvia Wohlfarth Hapsari Listya Sarah Levis Rhonda Marrone Kovid Rathee Shaan Sood Jean Crawford Evans Cassius Corbin Srinath S. Gail Walter Suzanne V. Tanner Jane Woodman Rebecca Marie Markham J Moody Tonya Renee the introvert Samantha Lazar Denise Shelton Beth Stormont Rob Moir Tristan Rivers Nikita Vipul Aspen Blue Rainman Krista Strom Jean Carfantan Nachi Keta Chris Alleyne Genvieve Deborah Barchi Flose Boursiquot Jonathan Greene Uday Jhunjhunwala Dipti Pande Gurpreet Dhariwal Nanette Schieron Edis Rune Sandra Barrett Sana Rose Shreya V Arjan Tupan Manasi Diwakar ICO Aimée Gramblin Quasimodo Connie Song Sadhana G Pablo Pereyra Noor Zanaid Dan Leicht Neha S.Saberwal Jamie McIntosh Anne Harrison Robert Bush Crystalclearcandace Amritansh Sagar Saloni Joshi Burak Göloğlu Madb Tighe Paul Mulliner Vinitha Dileep Martin Rushton Suryatapa JMontes Abigael Taiwo Gina Karasek Kallie Allen Eira Braun-Labossiere Roz Liddle Trisha Kaundinya GK Anne Bonfert Aissa Martell Vi.Smith