Hello dVerse Poets, this is Sanaa (aka adashofsunny) welcoming you to another round of Prosery where we ask you to write a very short piece of prose that tells a story, with a beginning, a middle and an end, in any genre of your choice.

Since it is a kind of Flash Fiction, we here at the pub have a limit of 144 words. What’s special about Prosery is that we give you a complete line from a poem, which must be included somewhere in your story, that is, within the word limit.

You may change punctuation but please bear in mind that you are not allowed to insert words in between parts of the quotation.

Picture courtesy: Close up of green leaf plant by Erda Estremera, Unsplash

Denise Levertov (1923–1997) was a British-born American poet known for her free verse, lyrical imagery, spiritual reflections, and political and environmental concerns. She was particularly skilled at finding profound meaning in ordinary observations of the world.

Published in her 1989 collection, the poem “In California: Morning, Evening, Late January,” captures a day in California.

At first, Levertov presents an almost idyllic landscape. Morning light illuminates palm and pine trees, while dew glistens delicately across the vegetation. Her description makes nature feel sacred, almost like a divine creation.

However, this tranquility is soon interrupted.

The sounds of lawnmowers, pesticide spraying, helicopters, bulldozers, and construction gradually invade the landscape. The natural environment is being altered, controlled, and consumed by human activity.

What’s particularly striking is her reference to vineyard workers, or braceros, trying to hold their breath while pesticides are sprayed nearby. Here, environmental destruction becomes a human and social concern, too.

The poem then returns to an untouched patch of greenery, which Levertov describes with tenderness. Her declaration, “Fragile paradise,” captures the central tension of the poem: nature remains extraordinarily beautiful, but that beauty is increasingly vulnerable.

Photo courtesy: People in a restaurant during night by Pietro De Grandi, Unsplash

There is something almost heartbreaking about the fact that the moon continues to rise, the sky continues to change colour, and the trees continue to grow while the world around them is being dismantled and reconstructed.

Levertov asks us to consider whether we can truly praise the generosity of the natural world while remaining indifferent to its destruction.

This evening, I would like you to write a Prose piece which includes the line: ” Who can utter the poignance of all that is constantly threatened, invaded, expended.”

From the poem “In California: Morning, Evening, Late January,” by Denise Levertov.

Please also include the dVerse link in your published piece.

Here’s how to take part in the Prosery Prompt:

• Write a piece of flash fiction or other prose up of up to or exactly 144 words,
• including the given line from the poem.
• Post your Prosery piece on your blog and link back to this post.
• Place the link to your actual post (not your blog url) on the Mister Linky page.
• Don’t forget to check the little box to accept privacy policy.
• Please visit other blogs and comment on their posts!