A Scene from My Childhood by Lucie Fultz

Sparrows in the chinaberry tree

 in my great-grandmother’s front yard

where I lay on my fat belly

 book on the ground—opened—

 tracing letters into words

 listening           watching 

 tiny brown birds

 flitting from limb to limb

 skipping along the ground

 unearthing worms

 full of grace

 chirping in gratitude 

 for a fresh meal.

And I alone—not lonely—

memorized that moment. 

Artist’s Statement

After several years of retirement—volunteering at an agency that serves the homeless and underserved communities, taking online courses, and leading a more or less solitary life—I began to write serious poetry. Because I feel that most of my poetry is too private to share, I keep it in my personal journals. A few years ago, a friend encouraged me to join a small group of writers at Harwood’s Café on Friday mornings via Zoom. At first, I shared poems by famous poets and some of my personal nonfiction prose. Gradually, as I gained more confidence, I began to share some of my short poems with the group. Occasionally, when I think my poems can be shared based upon some general topic, I will submit them to printed and online journals. Such is the case with “A Scene from My Childhood”—an enduring image.

This emergent poetry in my octogenarian years has come as a delightful creative activity. Yes, I have scribbled verses all my life, but I never thought of myself as a poet! I’m enjoying this late-blooming period

Lucie Fultz, Associate Professor Emerita in English at Rice University,  is the author of the award-winning book, Toni Morrison: Playing with Difference. She is the editor of the volume Toni Morrison: Paradise Love, A Mercy. She has also published numerous articles on Toni Morrison’s fiction. Lucie lives in Houston, Texas, where she has found an avocation in drawing and jewelry crafting.