Bell

Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan. #NoticePoems

Bell 

one by one we sound this bronzebell on New Year’s after midnightwith classmates and neighbors
and strangers all lined upin the cold to draw back the strikingbeam then ram the bell and feel
the tone swell then fall to less and less then nearly none until the next person steps up
to draw back the beam again while the crowd swells then thins tonearly none until it’s time
to ride home on our bikesto sleep and hope for Mount Fujihawk and eggplant dreams

[Note: In Japan it is considered lucky to dream of Mount Fuji, a hawk, and eggplants in your first dream of the New Year.]
  © Holly Thompson, All Rights Reserved




Have you noticed the world in your town? Share your own Notice Poems with the hashtag #NoticePoems 
Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan. 
Verse novels by Holly Thompson: Falling into the Dragon’s Mouth The Language Inside Orchards

Crashing Wave image by www.johnnyautomatic.com