bloom

on this spring day
the flowers bloom
birds return
and life renews

the hollow space
inside my heart
tears a little bit
gets blown apart

so many days
dark winter knew
silent as the grave
left feeling blue

shall i own them now
or cast pall aside
blossoms burst to life
time for joy's stride

violet blush

sweet blush of my cheeks

hope blossoms eternally

our renewal sings

~

scars

soft petals tinged by

past breezes, freezes, memories

forever noted

yet beauty amidst the scars

show strength in our tomorrows

Flower

F

    ancy petals

L

    ittle waving heads

O

    pen to the sun

W

    aving in the breeze

E

    verywhere in spring

R

    enews my soul

sign of spring - hellebore

It's National Poetry Month. My children have both been exploring the nuances of poetry at school, which just tickles me. It also has amounted to some creativity on my poetic part, as seen in this acrostic poem. Have you written any poems in National Poetry Month?

rebirth

Flower

delicate, hesitant

growing, reaching, struggling
waiting for spring warmth
rebirth

Sunflower

cool breeze

autumn sneeze

breath torn asunder

at the end of summer

as a burnt umber face cries

to look at the skies

but all i can see

is the beginning of allergies

no cry for frost yet

i'll pay my dues, plenty wet

from the window seat indoors

with tissues & tinctures

and a memory of summer fun

and your beauty, hard won

Delphinium Dreams

Summer Blossoms straight

reaching for clear azure sky

delphinium dreams

~


If only they were mine
for all time
*

The Fairy Garden

Spring flowers
inspire
fairy's wings
desire

flowers laid 

just so

a silver cup with

honey & water to go

Careful planned
the layers upon layer
fine fresh greens
offered by soothsayer

a daffodil sits
a crown amongst gems
the best of the season
for little folk to attend

The Circle of Life

The circle of life

on scented petals of love

a daughter's gift

Looking North

“The spring flowers are a sight to behold,” promised my uncle.

He didn’t have to sell me on one last excursion though. The suggestion alone was all that was required to convince me, and with that I was travelling again. This time, I was in the back seat of my aunt and uncle’s car though and we were headed to Springbok to stay with my cousins for a few days. I would not have to carry my pack, nor stand at the side of the road in hopes that a ride would soon materialize. And I certainly did not have to worry about anyone’s hands or where they tried to put them. That was an adventure much more to my liking.

Namaqualand was well worth the drive as well. Just as my uncle had promised, the desert had blossomed into a multi-coloured patchwork of blooms. Orange, purple, yellow and white flowers filled the eye, as far as one could see. We wandered up on the dusty hillside behind Anne and Pieter’s house, but the trip to Namaqua National Park blew me away. Everywhere I looked, the daisies turned their pretty faces to the sun and I was in awe. The normal brown and dusty green shoots that struggled to exist during the rest of the year, exploded into a brief, brilliant rainbow after winter rains gave them a fleeting taste of life. Just as quickly though, those blossoms would be gone, burned away by the hot South African summer sun. During those few days in August, I was blessed to behold the desert miracle of life for its season of rebirth and renewal. The pictures I snapped were flat compared to the beauty I was surrounded by. I took them anyway though.

One prickly plant drew my eye in the midst of the blanketed foliage. Where most of the other plants were tucked close to the ground, Pachypodium namaquanum stood tall, if not quite erect. When I asked my uncle about the curious cacti, he gave one of his hearty laughs and launched into a tale of folklore about it.

“Do you see the bend at the top of it,” he asked.

“Of course, but what of it,” I wondered.

“So the story goes, a local tribe was being driven South by another bloodthirsty tribe. Attacked and suffering in numbers, they retreated from their homeland and made their way towards the Richtersveld mountain desert. In grief, a few of their numbers turned back to gaze North towards their former homeland. The Gods felt sorry for these poor folks and turned them into halfmens, the plants you see there. In that way, they could always gaze towards their homeland and find some small comfort in the view,” he explained. “The halfmens always grow with their tips bending north.”

I listened to his tale and stared at the tree. It was a delightfully sad tale and one that resonated with me, as I gazed North towards my own homeland. The picture taken that day will stay with me forever.

My "Fall" Garden

Can I just remark that it was a beautiful day in my neck of the woods today! The sun was shining bright and golden yellow in a cloudless sky, but that wasn't the only yellow thing to be found. Check out these hardy nasturtiums that just continue to blossom and thrive out in the yard. Beautiful, plus peppery good to eat, if you are so inclined. I love to look at them, but they are fun in a salad as well!

This here plant is also good in a salad, but a staple in the spaghetti pot as well. Anyone know what this pretty herb is called? While it has lost some of its pungency now that it is flowering, this hardy perenial is oregano! I started mine from a four inch pot and it is now competing with everything around it. If you need any, let me know! Divisions are always available!

Wow,

this colour surely lets you know what time of year it is.

The burning bush is starting to flame in the back yard,

so it's got to be Fall. 

I really do love its vibrant red though

Don't you?

While you might not recognize this prickly specimen as it sits now, you have all heard of this plant too. In fact, I think I like it just as much in this state as when it waves its pink blooms in the late summer. Does echinacea ring a bell? If you don't recognize this brown beauty by that name, you have probably heard of purple cone flowers. Should be called spiky cone flowers, I'd say!

And with the feathery wisps of grasses delicately brushing the Autumn sky, I fear that the changing of the seasons cannot be ignored. Summer is now a distant memory. Winter's warnings have been in the air on a crisp morning or two already. 

But today

I just had to get out 

and enjoy the last few precious days of sunshine

in my garden

with my poor sick kitty in tow

I soaked up some sunshine

before winter winds

erase any memory

of summer days

and the great warm

outdoors

Oh, surprise!

with all those tempting temperatures

not much writing gone done today either.

Oops!

What Colour Goes With Yellow?

What colours go with yellow?

my daughter asks

...

Today's answer is brown,

 

black

and a creamy white

with shades of lavender

 hanging in the sunshine

of my mind's eye

- a brilliant sight to see

What's Going on Wednesday

I feel like I have been away forever. I went to New York last weekend and was completely disconnected from the world wide web the whole time I was gone. I left Thursday, returned late Sunday and didn't get the shakes once (unlike the university students at the University of Maryland that went through varying stages of withdrawal symptoms during a 24 hr social media-free experiment). Ha, in your face social media!

and yes, I have been right back at it ever since.
sigh...

Not here though. And I miss you! I miss you all out there in bloggy-land! I have checked in on some of you, but my own voice has been silent. I played catchup with work, and wrote articles about the aftermath of a thunderstorm cleanup, the heat wave rolling across North America and the best bathing suits to wear to the beach to beat the heat, and even delved into the joys and mysteries of coconut milk! Fascinating stuff that you should all check out and comment on ;)

But I feel like I owe myself a stint of writing too. Maybe that is because I also met up with my newly formed writing group tonight. Perhaps you agree though?

I did post a few haiku on twitter, that I will share with you again here if you missed them.

Butterfly flits by

Birds chirp, chirp, chirp hello

A break in the rain

Sunshine dreams

Offered up on ruffled leaf

My rain drop's gift

and how about a new one,

cloudless blue skies

looking cool and inviting

bake everything

Plus, I did a little gardening - trim a little here, pull weeds out of the lawn there, and snap a few pictures of the newest things that are blooming;

Fairy overseeing the garden

Columbine

My favourite discovery today though, was this absolutely stunning iris! It is so ruffly and delicate. Makes me just sigh with the beauty of it...

Iris

And you? What have you been up to? Written any good poetry, prose, songs? Taken any shocking, stunning, stimulating pictures? Painted, sketched, designed any good artwork?  Tell me what's going on!

The Battlefield

Creeping Charlie (weed)

Charlie

Why is it that you put on this show

for me?

Like you have some worth

with that purple hue

hmph...

Just creep 

back under the fence 

from whence you came

and trail

your damn roots 

with you

You are not welcome here.

 your showy ways

do not impress me -

nay, remind me 

that I stand no chance

against your onslaught.

I pluck 

and pull

grind dirt in toil

yet find o'ernight

you've slipped in 

another mile!

Ack, lost am I

on battlefield,

but next warpath 

I won't concede

to this other weed!

Into Jelly with thee!

Dandelions

Garden Walk

Today I am going on a garden walk. I need to let go of words and just be.

Grab a coffee and join me.

~

Welcome

Jingle the bells

Soloman's Seal

Take a deep breathe...

Lilac's beginning to bloom

Feast your eyes here...

Pretty multi-coloured Phlox leaf that will provide more colour later in the summer

So soft...

Different kind of Phlox

Feeling royal with these delicate beauties...

Lily of the Valley

My stepable wildflower garden in the grass

The blister on my hand has almost healed, but it would appear my ministrations were in vain.

The tears of a tulip

The sun will come out 

tomorrow...

Violet Slumber

pretty purple strewn 

amongst fresh green grasses

just starting to grow

soft carpets alive

singing with growth, rebirth and

promises of Spring

I run across the

lawn breathing sunshine dreams

into tomorrow

violet slumbers

refresh frozen hope and pray

thunders pass over

May rains replenish

and forgive sunshine stolen

by daffodil vase

 Aye, tomorrow will soak

the last of April's promises

for May's bounty

for One Shot Wednesday

Snow in April

Thunder rumbles outside my window.
Sheets of rain wash away winter grime.
Scrape the world clean.
I wait for the memories of snow to be washed away with it,
but it is cold outside.
So cold.

I want to wrap myself in Springtime, 

dance nimbly through the crocuses,

but

they are too chilled

afraid of what might yet unfold 

- certainly no petals today...

So I watch big fat droplets

run down  the window.

Give thanks 

that they are not yesterday's snowflakes

and perhaps will yet bring those promised

May flowers to bloom

'cus Easter is this weekend

and there still ain't no daffodils in my yard

nor leaves unfurling anywhere

but in my dreams

this April

snow - pfft

Together

Tall and strident

you lean into me as strength

I support our days

~

Mother and child
entwined from our shared roots bound
softly caressed love
~

lovers dipped in ink

choose shadows from their soul's heart

paint pictures as one

A Late Winter Storm

A scant
four days ago
you gently peeked
through the snow.


As neighbours watched
nearby,
you stretched up
towards the sky.

Without heed to crystals cold
a'strew amongst your path
you warmed thy promised leaves
for sun's rays you did grasp.

but woe to you today
as fresh chill has touched the air
and looking out yon window
snow has returned without a care



Blast for winter's grip
be gone from morrow's day!
we've enough of flurries trip
right kindly I say "Go Away!"



  ***

Looking out my window, I see that the snow the weather forecast warned of has arrived. 10-15cm! What!!! Poor tulips and daffodils won't know what to do with themselves.

Damn winter! Be gone already!!