Greetings, readers. I’m happy to say another of my poems titled “Plants,” was published in the February 2026 issue of The Florida Writer, the magazine of The Florida Writers Association.
A poem gets started
One sunshiny Florida morning about six months ago, I was visiting Peggy at her property on Lake Lucy. We were walking back to her house from the woods when she turned to me, smiling, and said, “Charlene, would you write me a poem about plants?”
I said sure. And as it turned out, I finished the poem just in time to give it to her before she died in December 2025. She really liked the poem and thankfully made a few suggestions, which I felt improved it. Once again, we’d collaborated on a piece of writing. You might remember I published her work here on my blog: the series “Caring for Mother Nature.”
My tribute to Peggy is here: Remembering Peggy Sias Lantz, author and friend | Charlene L. Edge
Plants
for Peggy Sias Lantz: naturalist, author, and friend (August 1933 – December 2025)
by Charlene L. Edge
In dappled shade of ancient oak and young elderberry, we admire
The spring green of coontie, its palm-like shoots
Lift in the breeze under a startling blue Florida sky.
I walk the trail. Ahead, my friend pushes the pedals of her tricycle—
a familiar scenario for us at her home on Lake Lucy.
I listen. Ahead, Peggy names native plants around us—
The twisted live oak tree, the coral bean, the purple beautyberry.
There’s the hen house full of teenage chickens—
Grey, brown, red and gold, sporting tiny combs—
who squawk to greet us then run away.
Nearby Everglade tomatoes have gone to seed,
A hole in the fence watches all.
The smell of old pines, the crunch of gravel under my boots,
A squeak from her trike rolling on weeds and twigs,
The path hugging the tires, warm earth holding us in her palm—
I tuck all this in my pocket of Peggy-friendship.
Sandy, her protective Sheltie, herds us back to the house.
BIO
Charlene Edge is an award-winning poet and author of Undertow, her cult memoir. charleneedge.com.
Thanks for reading!
Your writer on the wing,
Charlene
More of my work is on Blogspot: Charlene Lamy Edge Speaks about The Way International
Nylda Dieppa
Lovely picture of a friendship!
Charlene L. Edge
Thanks. She sure was a dear one.