Tangles & Tails: Tracey Kiff-Judson's Blog

Ghost of a Lily

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Category: Blog

Thank you to the always-supportive Marcie Flinchum Atkins for hosting this week’s Poetry Friday roundup.  Please visit her blog to see her gorgeous nature photos and for more Poetry Friday poems.

Yesterday, I rode my bike earlier in the day than usual.  A morning ride beats the afternoon mugginess, but also affords the opportunity to see morning critters.  A baby Garter snake slithered off the side of the road when it heard the crunch of my tires.  A chubby rabbit bolted across a field of grass.  A tiny snapping turtle bit my sneaker when I tried to nudge it to the side of the road.   

The day before, I saw three crayfish crossing the road near a stream.  Why not stay in the water through the tunnel that goes under the road? Why climb up to the road and risk the vulnerability of crossing on pavement?  I wonder. 

I also saw these ghostly plants growing along the road.  I don’t know what they are, and I couldn’t ask the question in a way that would get Google to tell me.  Maybe some kind of fungus?  Maybe you know them?

 

rising from gnarled leaves

surprising among earth tones

ghost of a lily

16 comments

  • I like seeing all you saw along the way, Tracey, and I, too, wonder about those crayfish, had no idea they would come out of the water! I think your plants are what is called 'ghost plants'. I remember seeing them in the woods when I was growing up, in Missouri. Also called "Indian Pipe" or "Ghost pipe". Here's one link. It seems people don't spot them often. https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/indian-pipe 
    • Linda,  Thank you so much!  I think you are exactly right.  The plants in the link that you sent look just like the ones that I saw.  It is interesting that they are actual flowers and not a fungus.  Thank you for educating me!   Tracey
  • Tracey, I enjoyed traveling the road with you and meeting the passersby. I seek rabbit and deer crossing our streets to the woods and appreciate their beauty against the summer sky. Your image poem is vivid even without the photo. Thanks.
    • Thank you, Carol!  I imagine your deer and rabbits make for a very peaceful setting and a great place to write.  
  • Wow! That is some bike ride! Not sure I'd have been able to spot all the creatures whizzing by, especially those ghost lilies. Don't you love a bike ride to stimulate your poetic freedom?
    • Haha, when you ride as slowly up the hills as I do, you get to see a lot!  Yes, agreed, looking for critters is a great way to find inspiration to write!
  • I enjoyed traveling along with you on your bike ride. Agree that there is so much inspiration out there. "rising from gnarled leaves" - such a great image and I love the word "gnarled"
  • Ghost Pipes! You captured them with your words exactly.I see them in my woods where I drag and dump sticks and raked leaves. They sure are a nice surprise among the earth tones. And a little snapping turtle and a crayfish! I haven't seen either of those in years!
     

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