Dreamers Garden in Gainesville Florida

I was privileged recently to be asked to read some of my poems in the Dreamer’s Garden right here in Gainesville, Florida. The organizer of the Garden and the events was Maria Huff Edwards who sent me a lovely follow-up email:

Thank you, Jo Ann , for bringing such a lovely reading to Dreamers Garden, and for sharing your poetic journey with us. It was a special occasion.

And, to commemorate the occasion today we planted a red hibiscus to honor your presentation and as a memorial to Hawaii in this moment of tragedy during the wildfires burning the Island of Maui.

Thank you also for the $20–we will plant an ‘August Beauty’ gardenia to further commemorate your reading along NW 10th Avenue and as a replacement for one of the ‘Frost proof’ gardenias of an earlier Gardenia Project at Dreamers Garden last year.

Growing

The circle’s come round
willing again to love,
sustain, nourish,
encourage,
give.

One difference
makes
all the difference.

I choose which oak branch
to get my strength,
which persimmon leaf to favor.
When my roots nee water
I bring deep mineral rain.

Collected Poems by JoAnn Lordahl 2023