Wednesday 19 February 2014

Hope

Overnight,
courage and hope have returned.
Strange things are happening,
lifted into being by mild airs 
gently blowing along the river valley.



Snowdrops appear everywhere, 
in hedgerows, verges, under trees,
in great abundant sheets or maybe just a tiny clump or two.
No matter how many of them there are,
they clothe and hide rain sodden earth, 
and gently nod their delicate heads in affirmation
of what is sure to come.


Sweet crocus,
afraid to show their faces still,
but give them just one sudden shower of sun
and they will open up
their golden hearts.

   
In a sheltered nook
daffodil spikes urgently thrust their heads above piles of leaves,
great, blowsy, golden trumpets
to sound a clarion call to wake the slumbering world.


Spring flowering shrubs 
have long ago decided that their time has come.
A little tentative still,
but determined to wait no longer,
they unfold their golden bunches.


A curtain of humble catkins,
of willow, birch, or oak
what more of reassurance do we need
to tell us that a change of season 
is just around the corner.



No doubt,
we are not finished yet with ruffian winter.
But do your worst,
rage against the waning of your powers,
send storms and floods to devastate the land,
the scent of spring is here,
if only for today.
Take a deep breath,
sweet, faintly, hesitantly,
the scent of spring is in the air.

It will be spring again.



54 comments:

  1. That's beautiful, Friko. So glad that your weather has improved, if only for a day. xoxo

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  2. It's been lovely out today as are the pictures of all your Spring bulbs.

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  3. Ja komen doet het ,wat een heerlijke voorbode,s

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  4. Well, we are no where near as far along as you, but our weather is very pleasant. About 50F today! If we get another harsh freeze it had better be before my daffodils emerge.

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  5. As the snow slowly melts, the only green around here is envy for your beautiful early spring flowers.

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  6. Yesterday our dog Lindy was sunbathing on the deck by our south-facing back door. Today the forecast is for snow. I'm glad she got to spend that time in the warmth of the sun, because she later hurt her right leg somehow. Today's good news? The veterinarian is coming to the house to see Lindy. A first for us.
    Meanwhile, your beautiful first-of-spring flowers have lightened your heart for a time. I'm so happy for you.
    Luv, K

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  7. Beautiful words and pictures!

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  8. That's very nice. It gives me hope for the world.

    Love,
    Janie

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  9. Beautiful words and photos. Thank you.

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  10. ah when the flowers start to appear it makes all the difference in the world
    right before the snow i saw the heads starting to pop up
    i hope they survived...i could use the fresh breath

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  11. Today is brighter here after days of grey rain and wind. I can feel my own spirits lifting and a modicum of energy returning. So lovely to see the snowdrops and crocuses in clumps. Janie said it well, "It gives me hope for the world."

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  12. My snow drops are coming out from the snow and living up to their name. Dianne

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  13. I've got to take a closer look to see if the crocus are beginning to come out here, too. Lovely pictures and even more lovely prose. :-)

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  14. Such a beautiful post...and the photos are gorgeous, Friko!

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  15. oh, my.

    i giggle only because i looked anxiously at the sky near my house this afternoon and worried that the weather might turn too warm and melt two tons of carefully piled snow in my yard. happily, the temperatures are supposed to go back down toward zero later in the week.

    yay! snow!

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  16. Oh wow - the world is coming alive again Friko!!

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  17. Thank you so much for posting this! It is just lovely. Spring will officially be here in 27 days, 22 hours and 12 min!

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  18. You photographs, which prove spring does come, somewhere, at least, are balm.

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  19. No,we are not finished with "ruffian winter" quite yet. Thanks for these lovely sights.

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  20. It amazes me how fast it happens when it is time. I was cold and shuddering one day and the next it seemed that the world around me had decided it was spring. Now barely more than a week and a half later I can barely remember winter.

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  21. A lovely selection of images showing the hope - across the land and in your heart. (The sunshine's a-comin' Friko!)

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  22. Spring! How wonderful to see bulbs popping up at last and sunshine to cheer them along.
    This reminds me I must get to the nursery sometime soon, next month for sure and select bulbs to plant this coming autumn.

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  23. Welcome Spring! If one is affected by weather, better days are just around the corner. You are a little ahead of us, but surely our daffodils will soon be as high as yours and our crocuses will be popping open. Some of your shots are gorgeous, Friko!

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  24. Great pictures and the words :' a change of season is just around the corner'.
    I'm ready for spring as well and looking at your first vernal signs I envy you, Friko!
    Here the snow melted and it's raining every day. Have a nice coming of Spring!

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  25. How glorious your photos, how sweetly your words accompanying those harbingers of spring! Oh thank you so much for the snow drops Friko! :-)

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  26. A wonderful combination of words and pictures, Friko! I could so well imagine the scents and sounds with it.

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  27. Yesterday the sun had warmth - almost warm enough to contemplate having my coffee outside.

    Almost.

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  28. Beautifully written, dear Friko. You take me to your garden, that Eden of yours - through the clumps of snowdrops and daffodils and from under the oaks and the willows, straight to a very happy place!
    I'm glad spring is just round the corner and hope you have been doing well.

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  29. Oh Friko, that was lovely. There are so many flowers there that I've never seen before, but I love your descriptions.

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  30. Your words are brilliant Friko and beautiful photos. It won't be too much longer before I see Spring popping out here; except we have had 3 days, 3 storms and again last night a most heavy snow fall - the trees are laden with it this morning, so I must pop out and hopefully catch some of the beauty. Have a wonderful day :)

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  31. It's look so fresh and beautiful round your place, Friko. We are having a bit of a melt over here. Finally! Great to have temperatures over freezing, and some sun shining, too. It's downright encouraging to the spirit. xo

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  32. And i m waiting for spring to come. To be able to see all the lively colors and get carved. Get my soul carved with the essence:)

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  33. I am still scanning the trees for signs of life, but the weather is warming up.

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  34. Lucky, lucky you! I knew all that rain was good for something.

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  35. Such beauty you have shared.
    Not much here by the woods to view
    as of yet.
    But it is on the way.
    Feel it in my bones :)

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  36. What a lovely and cheering poem, Friko! I loved it and felt it's agreeableness on my face right away. Well done.
    ALOHA from Honolulu
    Comfort Spiral
    =^..^= <3

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  37. Ah - the beauty and hope of spring!

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  38. The earth awakes, spring will come, the sun will shine...

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  39. These are simply incredible. Spring really is just around the corner.
    Blessings from Dalamory
    www.freda.org.uk

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  40. OMGosh! All that green and flowers--how wonderful to see. We have to wait until April or May for such sights. Enjoy!! :)

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  41. Where my husband works as a volunteer (it's called Hill Close Gardens in Warwick - a collection of Victorian gardens which is a local visitor attraction here) they're having their Snowdrop Day this week. I always think Spring's on its way when they have this day every year.

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  42. Lovely pictures Friko. I am glad that something is alive around you and your garden – pretty flowers will for sure make your heart sing.

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  43. Absolutely beautiful. You made my week. I would give anything to see snow drops such as these. No sign of spring here yet.

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  44. Yes , finally .
    Slightly longer days and the odd yellow crocus ... very cheering !

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  45. Le sigh. Winter rollicks around my house, mixed up its moods all of which are dark, noisy and tempt me into going outside on sheet ice. No.

    Love your spring. I am desperately homesick.

    XO
    WWW

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  46. You'll have to use my other blog address....http://simplybalisha.blogspot.com/

    Balisha

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  47. I am delighting in the contrast between your awakening world and the images in my current ice-based post. That one planet can offer so much diversity, all at once, is very cool.

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  48. It looks lovely. I see you are quite a bit ahead of us... as we're still under a few feet of the white stuff. I'm glad for you and I look forward to the "boing boing" of impending spring.

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  49. Hi Friko - the coming of Spring always varies doesn't it ..but the buds start to come out, the leaves start to sprout, the early plants spring forth .. the celandines are always glorious, as too the daffs, the snowdrops - I love those and then the crocuses ..

    You have such a wonderful way with words ... and that ruffian weather is still around ... now we have another sunny morning - just so lovely ... cheers Hilary

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  50. Beautiful! Spring is certainly much further forward where you are, Friko.. Up here even the catkins are only just starting to open and the only flowers to be seen are snowdrops.

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  51. Ah, wonderful. We're still buried in snow.

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  52. Beautiful, your words and your garden.

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  53. The earth will be colorful again!
    Great pics.
    Happy WW!

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