#Poetry Friday–Roundup is Here & Spring

Happy Poetry Friday!

Come on in, the Poetry Friday Roundup is here, leave your poetry links below with Mister Linky. I’ve invited Spring for a brief escape from all the scariness out there… So, kick back and bathe yourself in some lovely poetry goodness for a while…

Let’s begin with a wonderful poetry book that came out in 2019, drumroll please, Michelle Heidenrich Barne’s latest volume of The Best of Today’s Little Ditty 2017 -2018
a poetry anthology gem chock full of inspiring poems and prompts by 57 poets, sharing 96 poems. Taking my hat off to Michelle, for all the wonderful posts and poem challenges she hosted and created on her blog that have found a home in this rich 3rd collection!

I’ve picked out a few Spring poems from the book to share with you.
Let’s start in the garden,

ADVICE TO A GARDENER

When in the garden
you have dug
and come across
a creature smug
remember this:

It captures bugs!
it slurps up slugs!

Just thank the toad––
no need for hugs.

Diane Mayr  © 2018 all rights reserved.

Here’s to an enchanting Spring flower,

PEONY POEM

an idea
sudden, surprising
like red peony shoots
the first color in a spring garden

a draft
leafy, bushy
too much green, but with buds
sweet enough to attract ants

a poem
lopsided, fragrant
overly showy, flamboyant, glorious
cut for a vase or for a grave

Mary Lee Hahn © 2018 all rights reserved.

Watch out it’s mucky out there…

ODE TO SPRING SOIL

You feel soft and squishy, as her
shoes ooze over with clumps of your midnight mix.
Your earthy sent magnifies as she moves toward you.
Swish––her foot slips and she sloshes down, sliding to the ground
savoring your richness between her wet lips.

Why have you softened so early?
For centering and slowing her, before the rush of summer.

Michelle Kogan © 2017 all rights reserved.

And how about that lovely month of May,

WINDOW IMPRESSIONISM

outside my window
May 
distills the wind

cypress arms
open green
    green
           green

clover lawn
sparkles
of stardust

red canna
reaches for sky
like a helium balloon

chickadee
      dee
            dee

dances
    branch
                       to branch

on the balance beam
squirrel nibbles
from his tiny hands

outside my window
May
plays along

Margaret Simon © 2018 all rights reserved.

Spring Buds, WIP, ©2020 Michelle Kogan, watercolor and watercolor pencil.

And here’s a bonus Spring poem, outside of the ditty book, for all these lovely buds that are raising our spirits,

MOTHER SPRING

Bubbling buds–
Earth’s emeralds,
magical green
pushing, prodding,
finally up…

Fragile beauties
remind us of
life’s preciousness,
of each new day
of each new bud…

Come mother spring
wrap tulip leaves
around our thoughts,
fill hyacinth’s
scents in our hearts…

Lose us in your
crocus splendor,
shower us in
your rain and dew
your childhood’s spring…

Grow our wonder
till under fear,
mix in care, and
feed us seeds of
reflective thought…

Michelle Kogan © 2020 all rights reserved.

Robin’s and sparrow’s songs from my yard…

Here’s a link to the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. They are offering daily activities online for all those little and big kids (like me) that love nature! Follow the link to find out what else a frog swallows his food with besides his mouth…

Remember to do something that brings you happiness each day, and keep on washing those hands.

Visit Renée LaTulippe’s site No Water River to find out more about what Poetry Friday is.