Grace of the Daffodil
She rose and turned to the sunlight,
The orange rays warmed her up inside.
She shook her yellow head, contrite,
And set aside her steely pride.
The orange rays warmed her up inside.
She braced for what the day would bring
And set aside her steely pride.
It was high time for a spring fling.
She braced for what the day would bring
In cloudless skies of crystal blue.
It was high time for a spring fling,
A chance for all things to renew.
In cloudless skies of crystal blue,
Robins sail low on the cool breeze.
A chance for all things to renew,
But you can never tell with bees.
Robins sail low on the cool breeze.
True motives scatter hitherto,
But you can never tell with bees…
For even weeds are flowers, too.
True motives scatter hitherto
As apple blossoms bloom and peak.
For even weeds are flowers too,
Colors splashing the landscape bleak.
As apple blossoms bloom and peak,
The dewdrops gently kissed her face.
Colors splashing the landscape bleak
And smiling with a sense of grace.
The dewdrops gently kissed her face.
She shook her yellow head so bright,
And smiling with a sense of grace,
She rose and turned to the sunlight.
Colleen Keller Breuning © 2023
March 25, 2023
Spring is finally here, though it doesn’t feel like it for the past few days! The daffodils have been blooming for at least a month now, and I fear they are beginning to turn to mush. I wrote this pantoum to pay tribute to their grace and determination. They have endured the fickle weather, stood up to the winds, and put up with the crazy up and down temperatures. Sometimes we are all like daffodils holding our heads up, standing up to the tests of life, day in and day out. I would like to have the grace and gratitude of a daffodil, and I pray for this strength every day. Thank you for making my spring days golden, daffodils!
My hyacinths are starting to sprout up with their vivid colors, and I can see tulip shoots finally making their way out of the ground. Note to self: I need to spray some Deer Gone on both the tulips and hydrangea shoots to deter the adorable deer family from having them for dinner. I did not see any crocuses bloom this year, and I know I planted about 50-60 in the fall. Hmm. Oh well, I guess the chipmunks, squirrels, groundhogs or voles had some nice snacks over the winter!
I have never had much of a green thumb, but I do try my hardest to keep things alive. My garden has been a work in progress, I’ve had some successes and many failures over the years. I learn by my mistakes. I gave up on roses, but I have had great success with the crepe myrtle trees and hydrangea bushes on the north side of my house (now about 20 feet tall!) If it requires a lot of maintenance, then it’s probably not going to survive on my watch lol.
My biggest obsession is with trees, though! Every year since 2012 when we moved to our home in Northern Virginia, I have purchased about 4 trees per year (not counting the annual miniature spruces I purchase at Christmas, which have about a 75% survival rate on our property). The very first trees I bought were two beautiful Kwanzen Cherry trees, which produced absolutely beautiful pink blooms. They were planted on slopes in my backyard, on both sides of the house. A few years later, a substitute mower recklessly slammed into the side of one, lopping off a huge section of one branch. It was never the same after that, and one year it blossomed in the spring, then dropped its petals and never produced leaves. We left it for a year, it died a slow death. Then about two years ago, the surviving tree got blown over in a horrible wind storm. I actually cried, I loved those trees so much. Dan is usually very insistent that “we don’t need any more trees” but in my opinion, you can never have enough trees! But he knew how much I adored those cherry trees. The other day he pointed to the side yard, and he actually said “that looks like a good spot for another cherry tree.” It lifted my heart up, and I can’t wait to go to the nursery to pick one.
I love that the many different birds nest in our trees and those huge hydrangea bushes. We have several seed and suet feeders around the yard and in our rock garden on the hill. We get a wide variety of birds in our neighborhood: bluejays, cardinals, woodpeckers (red headed, red bellied, downy and pileated), red wing blackbirds, nuthatch, wrens, goldfinch, house finch, Carolina wrens, tufted titmouse, ravens, crows, bluebirds, mourning doves. We also enjoy the antics of the mockingbirds, catbirds, swallows, robins, and herons. And I don’t mind that the squirrels and chipmunks partake of the food, though I finally did set up a corn feeder for them which somehow the ravens discovered first.
I hope that wherever you are, you are enjoying the gentle breezes and beautiful flowers of spring! Have a great weekend!
xoxo
Colleen
Inspiration: “Flora” by Ludovico Einaudi, the Master
Ecrits Blogophilia Week 38.14 Topic: Spring Fling
Hard Bonus: Incorporate an A.A. Milne quote or line (“She turned to the sunlight and shook her yellow head,” “Weeds are flowers too,” “You can never tell with bees.”)
Easy Bonus: Include apples and oranges
Colleen Keller Breuning 