This poem inspired me today to revisit my photos of tulips. By the volume of photos I have saved of  tulips, it is easy to guess it is one of my favorite spring flowers. 

Tulips

BY A. E. STALLINGS

The tulips make me want to paint,

Something about the way they drop

Their petals on the tabletop

And do not wilt so much as faint,

Something about their burnt-out hearts.

Something about their pallid stems

Wearing decay like diadems,

Parading finishes like starts,

Something about the way they twist

As if to catch the last applause,

And drink the moment through long straws,

And how, tomorrow, they’ll be missed.

The way they’re somehow getting clearer,

The tulips make me want to see—

The tulips make the other me

(The backwards one who’s in the mirror,

The one who can’t tell left from right),

Glance now over the wrong shoulder

To watch them get a little older

And give themselves up to the light.

Source: Poetry (June 2009).

There's a Poem in This Place.

I don't need a special month the focus on poetry because I enjoy it every month of the year. What is nice about designating April as National Poetry Month is it brings an awareness to poetry for readers that may not always choose poetry.

My love for poetry started when I was very young. Mom read us selections of poetry many nights at bedtime from a book I still own. There are many titles in this collection that I taught to students and still read today. I also had teachers that made poetry a part of our classroom instruction. I especially remember Mrs. Tregoning highlighting a poem each month. She would read it, we would copy it in our best penmanship, then illustrate it. These would hang on the wall in the classroom. We would also memorize each poem and recite it in front of the class. In October she had us create Halloween poems. Mine was called "The Haunted House" and  I got to join other classmates and read mine over the intercom on Halloween day.

Poems capture strong images with fewer words. They can also help us honor an historic event with rhythm and rhyme."Listen my children and you shall hear of the midnight ride of Paul Revere." I read and listened to " The Star Spangled Banner" as a poem before I ever learned to sing it.  I loved jump rope rhymes when we played jump rope on the playground. When I was that age I don't know if I thought of them as poems. Poetry was definitely an avenue to my love for words. 

The poem below is one Mom loved. She read it to us many times. Sitting here in the room that was my childhood bedroom I can hear Mom's voice reciting this poem like it was yesterday.

 

I look forward to revisiting childhood poems, sharing some of my favorite poems, and discovering new ones this month. 

The 2022 poster was designed by eleventh grader Lara L. from Saunders Trades and Technical High School in Yonkers, New York, who was the winner of the 2022 National Poetry Month Poster Contest, and features a line by 2021 Presidential Inaugural Poet and 2017 National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman.

Winter Beauty

 One thing I used to love to do was create videos with photos. I would have a whole collection of photos, usually on a theme or season. I would select pictures then find music that matched it. I haven't been doing that lately. I am going to start again. Here is a video with my photos and vavorite music from three years ago . You may recognize some photos around where I live.  Stay tuned for more. 

Contributing to the Life of Winter

 "We cannot stop the winter or the summer from coming. We cannot stop the spring or the fall or make them other than they are. They are gifts from the universe that we cannot refuse. But we can choose what we will contribute to life when each arrives."        – Gary Zukhav

After writing my post yesterday about what I am doing to save my life during winter, this quote made sense to me today. I do choose to contribute to the good life when one season turns to another. One way I embrace winter is by capturing photo images every time I bundle up and go out on a cold day.  Here are some of my favorites:

Ten Things Saving My Life Right Now

Each year this week Anne Bogel on her blog Modern Mrs. Darcy invites readers to share ten things that have helped them make it through winter. She calls it " Ten Things Saving My Life Right Now." It is halfway through the winter season. The days are moving a bit slower and visions of spring days are dancing in our heads . She also invites her readers to share their lists which allows us to create a community to support each other through the rest of winter with an interesting variety of lists. 

Here is my list:

A crackling fire in my fireplace.: When it is icy, cold, or foggy outside there is nothing like a fire to warm the house and warm my heart.

Wordle: Having a puzzle to look forward to every day that challenges my mind is perfect.

Hot beverages: When the weather is below zero there is nothing better than hot coffee or hot chocolate. I have always loved coffee in the morning, but this winter hot chocolate has been another comfort beverage. I was gifted a variety of  hot chocolate mixes for Christmas so when I need a lift in the afternoon after shoveling snow in the backyard, hot chocolate with cinnamon toast hits the spot.

Homemade soup: Warm soup is such a comfort food in winter. I enjoy making a big pot of chili, vegetable soup, or chicken noodle soup and freezing leftovers for later meals.

Amaryllis:  There is no better way to brighten your house in winter than with amaryllis plants. I try to start them early enough in the fall so they are blooming in January. This year my blooms have been bigger, the colors have been more vivid, and each bulb has produced at least two complete flowers. They are beauty from a bulb.

Seed and plant catalogs:  When I go to check my mail and realize the temperature is frigid I just want to run back inside and wrap up in a blanket. Then I reach inside the mailbox and pull out seed catalogs. Ahhh.... a sign that spring is around the corner. Just the pictures on the covers are enough to cheer up my day.

Sunsets:  Winter sunsets are stunning. The varied colors are blended together into a sky of beauty. I follow sunsets with my camera when Riley and I take our afternoon runs. 

Connecting with friends and family: Phone calls, texts, messages, letters, cards, and in person visits make any winter day warmer. I love hearing from the special people in my life and there is nothing better than grabbing a cup of coffee and a lap blanket and having a long visit with a friend or family member.

Riley: My dog Riley makes every day of winter better. He entertains me with his morning routine waiting for the mail lady and the UPS driver. He clowns around with his toys and makes me laugh. He  gives me a reason to go out and get fresh air and exercise during our daily trip to a favorite outdoor spot. He also is a perfect snuggler when we come in and need to warm up.  

Surrounding myself with books, books, and more books: This winter I have spent more time reading books to broaden my knowledge of writing, creativity, and gardening. I have also enjoyed book club selections, books on my pile I have waited until winter to read, and cookbooks.

What things help you get through winter? 

I want to give a shout out to Anne Bogel, known on her website as Modern Mrs. Darcy. The link to the post I referred to in the opening is above. Here is the link to her blog: https://modernmrsdarcy.com 

Her website contains a list of the books she has written, information on her podcasts, and her blog. She shares book titles all the time, runs a book club, and posts informative and entertaining writing almost every day. Every year she does a summer reading list, and gives links to ebook deals!  Check her out.

The Red and Black Buffalo Plaid Blanket

When Everett first was moved to Kootenai Health on October 31, 2020 he tested positive for Covid. That meant isolation for ten days. Thankfully he never showed any symptoms. I was devastated when I learned I couldn't see him. I drove over to the Hallmark shop across the street to purchase cards that could be delivered to him. 

I saw a display of beautiful blankets. The red and black buffalo plaid blanket caught my eye. Surely they would allow a blanket in his room. When we talked later I asked him if he liked his gift. He said, "Nice pajamas!". I explained it was a blanket, which he was excited about.

When he was moved to a regular room the blanket came with him. When he was transferred to Shoshone Medical Center the blanket traveled with him in the ambulance. The blanket is a symbol of Everett's last month of life. He fought hard to get better. He would snuggle with the blanket when he sat in a chair by the window waiting for Riley to visit at the window. 

It was part of the display honoring Everett at his celebration of life.

It is Riley's favorite blanket also when he lays at my feet.

It was part of our Christmas card last year. 

It will soon be part of our new Christmas card.

If you drive by my house you see this same red and black buffalo plaid as part of the decor outside to honor Everett. I think red and black buffalo plaid is my new favorite color!