My Spring

Posted on March 20, 2018 by Stella

Signs-of-spring845In the cold North, Spring comes in gradually.  Maybe it is because Winter is overstaying its time, and I watch more carefully to spot Spring’s coming, but every year I notice the small things that tell me that we are moving ever so slowly to the pleasant and fruitful days of the year.

Very Early Spring, Katherine Mansfield
The fields are snowbound no longer;
There are little blue lakes and flags of tenderest green.
The snow has been caught up into the sky–
So many white clouds–and the blue of the sky is cold.
Now the sun walks in the forest,
He touches the bows and stems with his golden fingers;
They shiver, and wake from slumber.
Over the barren branches he shakes his yellow curls.
Yet is the forest full of the sound of tears….
A wind dances over the fields.
Shrill and clear the sound of her waking laughter,
Yet the little blue lakes tremble
And the flags of tenderest green bend and quiver.

 

Perhaps the first thing I notice is sound.  The birds know that Spring is coming.

 

winter-spring

now winging selves sing sweetly
now winging selves sing sweetly,while ghosts(there
and here)of snow cringe;

dazed an earth shakes sleep
out of her brightening mind:now everywhere
space tastes of the amazement which is hope

gone are those hugest hours of dark and cold
when blood and flesh to inexistence bow
(all that was doubtful’s certain,timid’s bold;
old’s youthful and reluctant’s eager now)

anywhere upward somethings yearn and stir
piercing a tangled wrack of wishless known;
nothing is like this keen(who breathes us)air
immortal with the fragrance of begin

winter is over–now(for me and you,
darling!)life’s star prances the blinding blue

In my garden, forsythia is the promise of days to come.

Haiku Forsythia

Forsythia a
Burst of sunshine in barren
Wood announcing spring

Forsythia.x.intermedia03

The bulbs plants begin to bloom soon after, first the snowdrops, crocus and grape hyacinth, then the daffodils, and the tulips.  My mother once gave me a wonderful gift; she planted a spring bulb garden for me near my front door, so that I would see it each time I stepped outside. I looked forward to that each morning as I left for work.

crocus“Crocus”

When winter’s winds are on the wane
And sunshine warms young April days,
When snow gives way to slushy rain
The crocus springs anew.

While crouching ‘neath the frosty crust,
On tender bended stem it prays
To fend off one more crushing gust
And melt the frozen dew.

– © 2013 Matt Forrest Esenwine

Have you ever noticed that one sunny day when you are driving or walking down your street there seems to be a green haze in the air, as the leaves unfurl?  Even though you have been waiting and watching for it, all of a sudden that day arrives!

First-Green-Of-Spring

[in Just-]

By E. E. Cummings

in Just-
spring          when the world is mud-
luscious the little
lame balloonman
whistles          far          and wee
and eddieandbill come
running from marbles and
piracies and it’s
spring
when the world is puddle-wonderful
the queer
old balloonman whistles
far          and             wee
and bettyandisbel come dancing
from hop-scotch and jump-rope and
it’s
spring
and
         the
                  goat-footed
balloonMan          whistles
far
and
wee
Live Oak among bluebonnets and paintbrush

For behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.

Song Of Solomon 2:11-12

This entry was posted in Holidays, Nostalgia, Poetry, Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.

29 Responses to My Spring

  1. Lucille's avatar Lucille says:
    March 20, 2018 at 12:21 am

    Lovely post, Stella. Thanks! Happy spring, everyone!

    SPRING by Martino Vergnaghi

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
  2. lovely's avatar lovely says:
    March 20, 2018 at 8:19 am

    Beautiful, thank you Stella 🙂 . There are a few birds here but the trees are alive with the trilling birds by my mom’s house.

    Like

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  3. lovely's avatar lovely says:
    March 20, 2018 at 8:24 am

    Early spring goose fight for a mate or dominance I’m not sure what, but they sure were mean.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  4. Menagerie's avatar Menagerie says:
    March 20, 2018 at 10:06 am

    This sure makes me understand a little more some of the gifts you guys in the colder climates have. There is such beauty in slow, cautious courtship. In the peeking out tentatively of the first buds, the first burst of hope as you see a flower. Something to look for and appreciate each day.

    Usually down here it’s more like an explosion of life, and that’s wonderful too. We also get the green haze though. And just like czar said weeks ago, one day you go out and the fields and yards are green.

    I remember you telling us about the garden your mother planted by the door. What a gift. I’m happy you reminded me of it.

    Liked by 4 people

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  5. G-d&Country's avatar G-d&Country says:
    March 20, 2018 at 10:32 am

    What a beautiful post Stella 🙂
    Here is a male cardinal bird in a cherry blossom tree.

    Happy Spring 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  6. michellc's avatar michellc says:
    March 20, 2018 at 12:38 pm

    We’re getting to the time of year here where we have more warm days than cold days. We had a cold front move in yesterday along with a north wind and it felt a lot colder than it was. It did get down into the 30’s last night. It’s supposed to get into the upper 50’s this afternoon, not sure it’s going to get there though as it’s cloudy not sunny as they claimed it would be. At least though the wind isn’t blowing out of the north today.
    Tomorrow the wind is supposed to switch and come out of the south, warming it up again.

    Liked by 1 person

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    • lovely's avatar lovely says:
      March 20, 2018 at 1:07 pm

      The weather channel online has us going up to 45° today. My phone says 33° . My car says it is currently 29°.

      Cold out there but I am wearing a light long sleeve blouse and it doesn’t feel that bad. Refreshing with the sun shining, which it is still doing. So far no one has picked up the poor dead possum a couple of blocks from home.

      🙂

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      • michellc's avatar michellc says:
        March 20, 2018 at 6:38 pm

        They lied here, it hasn’t warmed up, the sun hasn’t came out and the wind started blowing out of the north again.
        According to my outdoor thermometer it didn’t get above 45 today, which wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t for the wind.
        I’m not going to complain much though, because we could be getting tornadoes and softball sized hail like they’re getting down South.

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply
  7. Sharon's avatar Sharon says:
    March 20, 2018 at 2:15 pm

    So beautiful, Stella. Your words, photos, and poems encompass well all of the inch-by-inch events in the north country that begin giving hope to dwellers-of-the-north, when they’ve been looking at the seed catalogs since January…..

    So beautiful.

    I noticed yesterday on my now-routine half mile walk that a dogwood tree on one block is just getting ready to burst into bloom. Bright, deep pink it will be. They are so beautiful – blooming as they do before the tree has leafed out. Bright blossoms against the silhouettes of bare branches.

    Liked by 2 people

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  8. joshua's avatar joshua says:
    March 20, 2018 at 5:03 pm

    9 big fat robins in my backyard this morning pecking up the bugs that are poking out from the ground…..go rockin robins…

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  10. The Tundra PA's avatar The Tundra PA says:
    March 20, 2018 at 6:05 pm

    Thank you for this lovely post, Stella. So hopeful! We’re having another warm sunny day here (high 30s/low 40s) but solid snow on the ground as far as the eye can see; and deep, at least a couple of feet. No flower heads poking up for a while yet. Traditionally our snow is all gone by the first of May but we are not dependably frost free until June 1st.

    –The earth laughs in flowers…
    Ralph Waldo Emerson

    Liked by 1 person

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  11. jeans2nd's avatar jeans2nd says:
    March 20, 2018 at 10:44 pm

    This may not be in the spirit of your post, but, here goes anyway. (Stella tolerates crazy ppl – thank you)
    Was feeling a bit…ok, very, way down this eve, for reasons.
    Came over here and found this wonderful post.

    There is still snow in my yard – the only house around still with snow, mind you – and there is snow again tonight.
    But who cares? Not me. Yes, spring is actually here, snow or no.

    Tomorrow, methinks, it is finally time to start planting some flowers again.
    Thanks Stella and Imaginary Friends. Better than warm milk or chamomile tea.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    • lovely's avatar lovely says:
      March 20, 2018 at 11:02 pm

      Stella’s is a warm place Jeans2nd. I’m happy that you stopped by, and remember Spring is coming, no matter how much snow we still have in our yards, (yes I still have snow in the shadows).

      Like

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