NOW IS THE TIME OF TOADSTOOLS by Girsha Gowing

Autumn is in the woods
And mists hang softly in the narrow aisles,
Now is the time of toadstools, -
Fawn; mouse-gray,
Brown-lacquered; yellow and orange, gay
Gold-bronze and scarlet Milk Caps,
Sinister Morels black as witches' hats,
Tatterdemalion Shaggy Manes;
Cloudy Clitocybe, - Oh, lovely name!
As if a constellation earthward came to rest,
Starring the silent woods
Where cold Death Angels spread their pallid hoods,
Mushrooms like moonstones scatter through the grass,
Smoke from the brushpiles, drifting, passes
Blue between the dank and songless trees;
And on the ground are mats of tarnished leaves.
On every rotting log
A pixy glade of mosses;
Lichens arrayed
In muted pinks and green,
Fungus
Brown-lobed and saffron clasp
Old stumps,  gleam
Pale as corals from the fissured bark.

by Girsha Gowing
published in the December 1945 issue of
Canadian POETRY Magazine
Vol 9, No. 2  page 16

Last night I was browsing thru tattered copies of "Canadian POETRY Magazine" and I came across this beautiful poem. Hope I'm not broaching any copyright, but I feel obliged to share this seasonal treat.  Towards the end of this slim volume is a poem by one Alfred W. Purdy, Definition. It's pretty Godawful, but then it's undoubtedly one of Al's first publications!   : ) I wonder if he learned from Girsha's poem?


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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "NOW IS THE TIME OF TOADSTOOLS by Girsha Gowing":

Lovely, lovely to see my Grandmother's poem on your blog. My daughter has just finished reciting one of my grandmother's poems at our local speech arts festival. Memories of my own recitations of my grandmother's poems were strong this week. Imagine my surprise when my daughter's teacher mentioned that he had found Girsha's name on google! Thank you for reviving memories and bringing such joy to my day.