Thursday, April 24, 2008

Poetry Friday: A Springtime Original

Spring is in full force in Smalltown. We've also had plenty of rain, so every day there's something new and beautiful to find. (Including the snakes, which my son loves to pick up with a stick a la Jeff Corwin.)

I wrote this poem in honor of all the babies I haven't seen about town for six months. Suddenly they're everywhere after being sheltered in cars and indoors.
----------------------------

Other people's babies stroll by,
in hats of petals
in pink and blue sky.
With gappy smiles and shark-like teeth,
sunny dandelions,
rubbery, round cheeks.
They spring forth with the crocuses,
the warm, the tulips,
and the trees' first buds.
A moment so hard and so sweet
in its beauty stuns.
Then releases, free.
Before you walk on, alone, but
weightless, to seek signs
of the peonies.
------------------------------
Tricia's on the roundup at The Miss Rumphius Effect. A Happy Friday and a Happy Spring to you all.

22 comments:

Gregory K. said...

Fun take on spring 'awakening', indeed!

Mary Lee said...

Blooming babies! I love it!

eisha said...

So true. I get that same weird mix of emotions when I see all these babies too.

Kelly said...

Thanks for stopping by, you guys :)

Cloudscome said...

What a sweet poem and astute observations. I really like the last four lines... walk on weightless, looking for signs of peonies. Looking back, looking forward...

Kelly said...

Thanks, Cloudscome. Yep, it's about looking forward (while still appreciating the beauty of a random baby)away from your own baby stage. Midlife in spring, so to speak :)

writer2b said...

I love this, from concept through execution. Wonderful.

Christine M said...

Great poem, Kelly!

TadMack said...

Alone, but weightless.
I like it.
And really -- they do have shark-like little teeth, don't they?

Kelly said...

Thanks, Writer and Chris!

Tadmack: Yes they do :) Savage and sweet all rolled up into one chubby package.

Liz in Ink said...

Oooo, those rubbery cheeks...
So fine!

Karen E. said...

I love it!

Erin said...

That's really really beautiful.

jama said...

Babies in bloom -- love it!

HipWriterMama said...

"in hats of petals" very nice.

Kelly Fineman said...

Brava!

I love the shark teeth and pink & blue blooms and, well, everything, including the search for signs of peonies. I hope you find them soon.

Elaine Magliaro said...

Kelly,

What a great spring poem! Love the babies springing "forth with the crocuses..."

Patty P said...

Nice poem, Kelly! Although it's the snake discovery that caught my attention.
My son found a huge corn snake at school yesterday. Friday must have been snake day!

jules said...

That's really lovely. I particularly love the ending. When are you gonna publish a book of poetry?

Kelly said...

Thanks, everyone, for your kind comments.

Patty: So you have one of those boys too, eh?

Jules: Never. Writing poetry is a survival technique for me. I like to write short little non-serious poems while in meetings :) A blog is the perfect place for them!

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