Welcoming Spring

I have two spring poems for you this week.

It occurred to me to share my winning limerick from March/April 2017 Saturday Evening Post limerick contest. Submitted limericks must respond to a provided visual from the Saturday Evening Post front page archives. The image for this particular contest was from the March 7th, 1925 edition of the magazine, provided by Paul Stahr, entitled "Kissing Winter Goodbye." It made a great prompt.  My limerick is as follows:

A nymph in the first blush of spring

Spied a snowman and fancied a fling

But her kiss was his last

He was melting, and fast

While pondering love and its sting.

You can see Paul Stahr's image and my limerick here: 
https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2017/06/marchapril-2017-limerick-laughs-winner-runners/

If you like writing limericks to a visual prompt, I recommend this contest. Learn more at this link: https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/limerick-contest/

The second poem was also written to a visual prompt.  Below is a beautiful flower called bloodwort, a member of the poppy family with a bright red root. More about lovely bloodworts here.  Laura Shovan provided the photo for Margaret Simon's weekly challenge "This Photo Wants to Be a Poem," and it prompted me to write the following:

A dainty face peeks

beneath a bleached linen cap

angel feather gown

© Karen Eastlund

I hope you've enjoyed these nods to spring. Aren't we glad it's here?  

Thanks to the amazing Amy Ludwig VanDerwater for hosting today. She is writing poems based on proverbs.  Maybe you want to try that also! Find her post and links to all the participants at The Poem Farm  Have fun writing, and have a good week.

I love this photo...

I came across this photo and had to write about it. Plus, I'm reading a piece by John McPhee about a NJ wildlife officer who tags bears and follows them, keeps them out of trouble, teaches people how to live with bears in the same habitat.  But what do you think?  Maybe this is a little too close?

 

Anyway, here's my offering du jour...

Hiya, Honey! 

You're so sweet! 

Is that chocolate in your pocket?

I may be short, but I'm very interested

And hungry. Oh so hungry.

Got food?

I love to share

No?

Bummer!

Maybe you could help me

Find my mama

I feel a bit growly

Grrrrr! Grrr!

© Karen Eastlund

It is Poetry Friday, which means that lots of poetry buffs are posting at our host blog, which today is Poetry for Children co-authored by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong.  Please stop by and see what they have cooked up for you. (That's a little humor, but you'll have to visit them to find out why.)  

We switch to Daylight Savings Time this weekend... spring can't be far behind.

Ashes

The imposition of ashes has been observed in RC churches for many many years, but not so long ago it began to be offered in my church also, a protestant church. Some were uncomfortable with it, but I was open to the experience. I wanted to see how it felt, how I reacted. 

Below is a poem that I'm just drafting. I will want to come back to it, but I offer this much to you for this month's consideration.

Ashes

They crumble 

And sift through fingers

Soft as feathers

A mote in the eye

They are the leavings

Cindery grey

Greasy black

A bit of grit

They surprise me

the way they seep 

into my wrinkles

my skin -- alien

They speak of deep grief

Utter hopelessness

This little pile of elements

fragments on the wind

They lack spark

They mark an end -- yet

I come willingly

Remembering

They mark truth

They slow my breath

They lower my eyes

They repeat

We all encounter them

Walk through them

And with God's grace

Some day  

                  again   

                             arise

© Karen Eastlund

Thanks to Ruth Hersey for hosting today and giving us this topic. It challenged me and I almost skipped, but perhaps the ashes themselves enabled this bud.  Find other posts in our spiritual journey group here.