Though the crocuses poke up their heads in the usual places,The frog scum appear on the pond with the same froth of green,
And boys moon at girls with last year's fatuous faces,
I never am bored, however familiar the scene.
When from under the barn the cat brings a similar litter, -
Two yellow and black, and one that looks in between, -
Though it all happened before, I cannot grow bitter:
I rejoice in the spring, as though no spring ever had been.
Theodore Roethke
American (Michigan) Poet
1908 - 1963
This year I am taken with the color contrast between the purple redbuds and the greenness of the budding trees. It explains how/why those two colors look good together in my wardrobe. But I didnt figure it out on my own. Artist daughter told me.What colors are drawing your eyes?
My friend, Penny, told me her grandmother told her that green goes with every color - she knew it was true because God made all the flowers and plants that bloom to have green leaves with their colorful petals.
ReplyDeleteI'm all in purple today, including shoes and earrings, but my purse is spring green!
Love the poem!
I only know one other poem by Roethke, "My Papa's Waltz," and I love that one. This one is lovely too.
ReplyDeleteOur redbuds are just starting, so they're just pale purply pink so far -- they are always my favorite spring blossom. I love the delicately lace-like quality of the blossoms on those rough grey trunks and gnarled branches.
Our neighbors across the street have several huge unpruned forsythia bushes, which is the way it should be -- springing out wildly, madly, rejoicingly. My own are in a cramped place so I had to prune them last year. They're growing again and will look nice, though they're still too tame and small for my taste. Forsythias need to used along a property line where there's lots of room.
My weeping cherry is just starting and it has hyacinths growing around its feet, but the thing I can't wait for is the lilac. This house is the first time I've ever had a lilac and I've decided never to live without one again.