It travels in my rucksack
To and fro each way
Snuggled in the darkness
For days and days and days

🍎 🍏 🍎

I had such good intentions
A perfect little snack
To keep me fit and healthy
In a bag upon my back

🍎 🍏 🍎

Now and then I'd get it out
To see if it was bruised
Or pop it back into the fridge
Only then to be rechoosed

🍎 🍏 🍎

I'd always be so happy
To have an apple in my bag
If feeling rather peckish
It's the first thing I could snag

🍎 🍏 🍎

But this battered little apple
Would be left without a bite
Languishing in darkness
Tucked away, out of sight

🍎 🍏 🍎

Today i'll eat this apple!
I promised everyday
And off we went again
And did i eat it?? Nay...

🍎 🍏 🍎

F'rall the times it went to work
It've earnt a pretty penny
Instead of all the bruises
Of that, there were many

🍎 🍏 🍎

So this morning i decided
To set my apple free
As it was now inedible
Well, at least for me

🍎 🍏 🍎

So i went into the garden
And hung the apple from a tree
So the birds could have the pleasure
Of an apple for their tea

🍎 🍏 🍎

The birds they did obliged me
With rawcus crows of joy
Pecking like jack hammers
The apple they'd destroy

🍎 🍏 🍎

So I've made myself a promise
To not waste another fruit
Now in my bag, a small companion

Jeremy, my pet newt.

🦎

There is so much more
That I want to see
All around the world
And in between

Tastes, sights
And places afar
Where ever friendly faces
And opening arms

So much more
To be consumed
This planet we're on
Is a fruitful womb

A meal a beer
A sample of the yield
Blackberry, blueberry
Strawberry fields

St. Ambrose Bees
Sweet honey mead
I want to sample
Every good thing I see!

   I am that
Western Traveler
    Indeed
   ...

~
June 2025
HP Poet: Agnes de Lods
Age: 47
Country: Poland


Question 1: We warmly welcome you to the HP Spotlight, Agnes. Please tell us about your background?

Agnes de Lods: "My name is Agnes (Agnieszka), and I come from Poland. I grew up in the countryside, in a family rooted in rural and small-town traditions. My mother is a very intuitive person, and my father was always standing in the last row, quietly helping others, especially people with disabilities.

My parents gave me two ways of perception: seeing with the heart and with the mind. They didn’t have higher education, but our home was full of music, books, radio talks, and documentaries that showed the world in many dimensions. They helped me see that reality is full of tension and harmony, depending on what we pay attention to.

They gave me space to speak in my own voice. Growing up close to nature, I spent time observing, listening to the rhythm of the seasons. I learned humility, compassion, and what it means to face hard work and failure."


Question 2: How long have you been writing poetry, and for how long have you been a member of Hello Poetry?

Agnes de Lods: "In Polish, I’ve been writing for four years. In English, two or three. But in a way, I had been preparing for it all my life by writing, reading, and observing the world around me.

I started sharing my reflections on Hello Poetry in December, just a few months ago. For the first time, I felt ready to express everything I had kept inside for years."


Question 3: What inspires you? (In other words, how does poetry happen for you).

Agnes de Lods: "People. I love people. Every single person has a story. Sometimes strangers stop me in the street and start talking. I guess they want to be heard, and I love to listen.

Nature inspires me. And my dreams, too. Some of them come true, others do not. Still waiting for those lottery numbers to show up in a dream.

Books are also a huge source, just like music and art in all their forms. I am inspired by Karolina Halatek and Hania Rani, Marc Witmann, Umo Vide, Dror Elimelech, and Patricia Suarez (Colombian poet and painter), and many others."


Question 4: What does poetry mean to you?

Agnes de Lods: "Poetry is exceptional on every level. Metaphors express the unspeakable and have real power. They change the frequency of thought.

Poetry heals, invites contemplation, and opens doors to the many layers of human nature.

To me, poetry is sound, color, scent, even taste."


Question 5: Who are your favorite poets?

Agnes de Lods: "Sylvia Plath, Alejandra Pizarnik, Wisława Szymborska, Adam Zagajewski, Czesław Miłosz, Jorge Luis Borges, Pablo Neruda, Federico García Lorca, and many more.

I also read poems on Hello Poetry, and I am so glad to see many truly talented writers here. It means this world still has a chance."


Question 6: What other interests do you have?

Agnes de Lods: "I am fascinated by psychology and archetypes. I read Jung with deep interest.

I love sci-fi, deep conversations, walks in the forest, and learning new languages. But more than anything, I care about human connection and understanding.

I like to dance and play the piano, though I have not had much time for that lately. And I love connecting the dots."


Carlo C. Gomez: “We would like to thank you Agnes, we really appreciate you giving us the opportunity to get to know the person behind the poet! It is our pleasure to include you in this Spotlight series!”

Agnes de Lods: "Thank you so much for letting me share my story. I am so glad to be part of this community of sensitive souls. I feel good here."




Thank you everyone here at HP for taking the time to read this. We hope you enjoyed coming to know Agnes a little bit better. We certainly did. It is our wish that these spotlights are helping everyone to further discover and appreciate their fellow poets. – Carlo C. Gomez

We will post Spotlight #29 in July!

~

How long will you look away
and pretend it doesn’t matter?
See our world in decay,
all our children getting fatter.  
Pesticides, herbicides, aluminum in our rain!
PSAF’s in our blood cells, plastics in our brains.

Corporations chasing profits as the empire gasp for power.
The time is now to rise and fight and stop being a bunch of cowards!