2 minute read
Field Notes: Poetry Inspired by the Garden
By David Starkey, Founding Director of Santa Barbara City College’s Creative Writing Program and Gudrun Bortman, Garden Designer, Artist, and Poet
As a frequent guest of Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, I have spent many afternoons on a bench with my notebook. I listen to the birds, watch lizards or other wildlife scurry across the trails, enjoy the laughter of families strolling by, or just sit in awe of the resplendence of the landscapes. The Garden is a special place for so many. That’s why I wanted to help showcase native plants through the art of poetry. Since 2021, I’ve had the pleasure of highlighting in each Ironwood issue one poet who, like me, also finds inspiration in nature and around the Garden.
In this issue, I’m excited to introduce Gudrun Bortman. Finding her way to the U.S. from Germany in her 20s, Gudrun’s appreciation of language and reading led to her love of poetry. Her poems have been published in various journals and anthologies, including Sukoon literary journal, San Pedro River Review, and Gunpowder Press. She currently lives in Santa Barbara, and when she is not writing, she is a garden designer and artist. Her poem, “Refuge,” is a tribute to California’s native plants and the beauty so many of us find in the Garden — a special place of refuge. I hope you enjoy.
Refuge
The meadow greets me, tugs
to hold me spellbound
In her poppy gold, burst
of Bee’s Bliss sage—
but today I search for the modest dwellers:
that single Blue Eyed Grass lifting
its head into the oak’s speckled shade.
Autumn Glow Manzanita’s
tiny white bells, pink-frosted berries,
St. Catherine’s Lace,
rivaling fog.
Out here in this garden
off the main trodden path
they share their shy beauty and scent,
soothe my mind,
oasis in this most turbulent time.
— Gudrun Bortman
