Friday, April 16, 2021

April Showers

It is springtime in Virginia with flowing cherry and blossoming white pear trees lining highways to make a splashy debut. Nature is blooming with pride but sudden angry outbursts occur noting that April is full of surprises. 

Again the blackbirds sing;
the streams Wake,
laughing from their winter dreams
And tremble in the April showers.
The tassels of the maple flowers.
-John Greenleaf Whittier

Petunias after the rainstorm

I am in my new house among many unopened boxes and look out at this cold spring day. Springtime seems confused. Before Spring's official opening, the weather was springlike. Now, some days are warm, some are chilled by showers. The old saying, April showers bring May flowers, is appropriate for this season. Oddly enough, nurseries are filled with bright colors of springtime so with great delight, I add flowers to my patio. Will they last? Not sure. On Long Island the rule of thumb is, "Don't plant until Mother's Day".

Taking the strike line, "And tremble in the April showers," from John Greenleaf Whittier's poem, I would like to share a golden shovel poem describing some nights and afternoons. 

Spring in Virginia has a penchant for mischief and
Enjoys its own merrymaking, causing me to tremble:
Quick, thunderous, nighttime sounds shout out in
Unison with shocks of light. Without warning, the
Rainwater splashes across patio pavement as April
Laughs, watching flowers tousle about amongst its showers.

©CV, 2021, draft


Today is another cool, cloudy day starting at 56 degrees. It is chilled enough for me to flip a switch for the dual fireplace to warm the house and my hands. Then, a sweet surprise happens. The sun shines and the rainwater disappears. 

spring chill
fireplace roars
plants thrive
©CV, 2021

This week I also created an equation poem, an anchored tercet, and a personification poem.


Join me for today's Poetry Friday Roundup. It is hosted by the ever-gracious Jama Rattigan at her blog, Jama's Alphabet Soup. Jama shares a poem by the former UK Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy. One line in her poem talking about the words of poems seems magical: 
They're sparklers
scrawling their silver loops and hoops
on the night...


On April 19th, I will join my poetry colleagues at the 2021 Progressive Poem where I will add my line choices to the poem that began on April 1st with Kat Apel. Check out the first day lines and a list of poets who are contributing this year at Kat's blog here.

Thanks to Irene Latham, I have another beautiful Live your poem postcard to display for National Poetry Month 2021 and a lovely welcome to my new home note.

19 comments:

  1. April is indeed fickle and I love how in your poem she laughs! The joke is always on us, if we think the weather will stay warm throughout the month. Thanks for the spring poems and pictures.

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    1. Jama, thank you for agreeing with me about April. "The joke is always on us" carries from April Fool's Day right on through.

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  2. Ahhhhh, Northern Va. weather....never can make up its mind north or south. Just wait a week or so. Many gems in today's post.

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    1. Linda, thanks for providing me with Northern Virginia notations. I was shocked when I heard the roar at night and then the flash of lightning and torrential downpour in the afternoons-Come and go features of Mother Nature. I look forward to the final unpacking and some free time to come and say hello.

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  3. We have welcomed some mischief and merrymaking here, too, Carol - bringing rain at last! (Very late in the year - but for sure a case of better late than never! We just snuck in a little bit of grass growth before winter's chill hit, last week.)

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    1. Kat, I am designing my Winter's Embrace 2021 Gallery and would hope that you could send me an image poem from Australia (only if you have time). I do not see an offering from you in my file. Winter's chill can be biting here so stay warm there.

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  4. You have greeted the season so poetically!

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  5. Yes, those ups & downs as April keeps on laughing, Carol. You know we had big snow last night, some melting today & I suspect April may keep laughing for a while at least. I love "laughing from their winter dreams". You are after me with the Progressive Poem! I'll be preparing tomorrow!

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    1. Linda, I did not know about your storm so if you have a recent snow scene, I would love to see it to give me inspiration for my Winter's Embrace 2021 Gallery that I really need to design. I am spending this morning catching up with the Progressive Poem so I can be ready for your entries.

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  6. April’s weather teases “with a penchant for mischief” here in Indiana, too.

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  7. I am amazed by your poetic output, Carol, as the moving-in continues. Spring does seem to be confused! Mischief, merrymaking, and spontaneous showers - you have pegged Virginia's season well. I also appreciate that sweet verse on escaping the chill by the fireplace where the plants thrive. Always much warmth to be found, here!

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  8. Wow, Carol, not sure how you're managing so much poetry, but I'm glad you are! Fireplaces are one of the great joys of life, to me:>)

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  9. I love the setting you describe in your poems, including the storms. I think Virginia is a lovely place, with lovely early springs.

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  10. Both nature and YOU have been productive this week!

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  11. Sounds like you are enjoying your new home, Carol. I agree, April is fickle, probably no matter where you live!

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  12. I love the personification in your poem. What a change it will be for you to be down "south" for spring. I look forward to reading about all your discoveries. :)

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  13. Lovely post Carol, your spring weather sounds a bit like Chicago's which goes up and down. Hope April's rain and winds quiet a bit and slow the tousle of your flowers thanks!

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  14. My goodness, Carol. Your poetry pen has been busy despite having what I can only imagine is a never-ending to-do list having just moved. Enjoy your first Virginian spring!

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    1. Christie, I have been so busy that each day escapes me. Thank goodness for my special writing time. Virginia's spring has been a rollercoaster ride so far, similar to Long Island but warmer. Happy Spring to you.

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