Welcome to Poetry Friday, the coming of Spring edition. Heidi Mordhorst, at My Juicy Little Universe, is hosting HERE. Be sure to stop by to see what poems she is sharing this week.
Spring is coming to Central New York and everything seems imbued with new hope. They are lowering the age for vaccines and people are lining up. I don’t think it’s too wishful to believe that as time goes on more and more people everwhere will agree to take it.
Today, I waited for a LaMiPoFri to come to me as I stared out my living room window at the early spring colors, mostly brown, but some green. I noticed my husband left a ladder by the porch.
MARCH RITUAL
Wood ladder among
the hemlocks and melting snow–
Christmas lights come down.
©Janice Scully 2021
Then another was inspired by old dry leaves that never fell.
CHANGING OF THE GUARD
Dry crispy leaves shake
in spring — as xylems hoist sap
upward to new buds.
©Janice Scully 2021
THE BOTTICELLIAN TREES, by William Carlos Williams, provides images of trees changing in spring. Trees/ alphabet metaphor to me was unusual. It’s a lovely poem. Below is the beginning, and the rest HERE
THE BOTTICELLIAN TREES The Alphabet of the trees is fading in the song of the leaves the crossing bars of the thin letters that spelled winter and the cold have been illuminated with pointed green by the rain and sun--
I hope everyone is well and enjoying the first days of spring, at least they are the first days in Central New York.
A small tree in my front yard
Janice, your last minute haiku are wonderful, taking me into your yard – and teaching me a new word (xylem). And WCW always manages to surprise. A clever extended metaphor.
I’ve taken pictures of those ‘dry crispy leaves’, Janice. For some reason, I keep feeling they’re hanging on until a new birth. I love your ‘catch’ of a haiku with your husband’s ladder, just wonderful to imagine the change coming. Some in our neighborhood still have a few holiday lights on at night, nothing huge, just a few on trees. I have sprouts of things up but a big snowstorm this weekend, then the moisture will bring it on! Have a lovely weekend!
Your LaMiPoFri haiku are nicely reflective, Janice–my favorite is the ladder. And wow-what an interesting poem from WCW! Thanks for all this goodness.
I love Williams’ “love’s ascendancy in summer” and your xylems hoisting sap!
Fun to discover your “March Ritual” from the ladder left out, and I like the image and contrast you make with xylems and “Dry crispy leaves. Thanks also for sharing the carefully carved out “Botticellian Trees” poem–what a master of metaphor.
Ha! I was trying to remember LaMinPoFri — and couldn’t quite get the letters right when I was on my way to this post. My goodness, my week was busy. And, the busyness made me a bit grumpy. I’d really like to spend more time thinking of writing and writing too. If this is last-minute haiku–bravo! I especially like the Christmas lights coming down. We get so excited to put them up…and then it’s such a chore on this end. lol.
Janice, I love the moment you capture in that Christmas lights one. Fabulous!
Yes, spring is showing signs of appearing here in VA too. Daffodil shoots!! And we have quite a few of those dry crisp leaves . . . Enjoyed your haiku, and thanks for sharing the WCW poem too (new to me).
Lovely glimpse of spring in your haiku. I am so glad I was able to schedule my first shot for the vaccine, and my husband got his yesterday.
Lovely haiku, Janice. And thank you for the William Carlos Williams poem. It’s new to me and quite intriguing.
Your haiku are just stunning, Janice. A pairing of coming down and going up, both hopeful. I love the energy in your lines – and the perfect Williams selection!
Wonderful to transition from one season to the next with you over here, Janice – thank you for sharing all!
I’m with you on the LaMiPoFri this week! Your first haiku is my favorite. I’m working on the turn in my haiku — a last line that surprised. You nailed it.