Photographs of Spring by Sonja Bingen, our daughter
April
a poem by Ethel Mortenson Davis
April on tossed hair,
in trees,
across the paths and grass
with branches stuck in seas of sky,
comes,
and
nowhere
is the snow
that covered us
and protected us,
but now
green
pushes up,
and
i
hold on
a moment like bark
and hear
a swinging down
out of trees
and
i see
your surprised
face
when
the earth jumps up fast to meet your legs.
fourwindowspress 
Beautiful words and beautiful photos – the essense of April! Thanks, Kathleen
This is wonderful, Ethel! The first line is absolutely captivating–and for me, could stand lovely and strong on its own! Wishing you both a wonderful Sunday–God bless you abundantly.
What a beautiful poem, and most lovely photographs!! I am especially captivated by ending lines:
i
hold on
a moment like bark
and hear
a swinging down
out of trees
and
i see
your surprised
face
when
the earth jumps up fast to meet your legs.
Thanks for this bit of April thoughtfulness, imagery, and splendor!
The pictures and the poem are beautiful Ethel!
I am so glad Spring has arrived for you – when I wrote my poem about Spring recently Thomas said you had thick snow!! 🙂
Christine
The last words brought me back to earth 🙂 Lovely and beautiful photo’s!
Spring always has so much promise. It should be Spring all year round 🙂
Ethel, I love your poem – especially liked the last stanza; wonderful! And I really like Sonja’s beautiful photos, just lovely. Blessings to you and Thomas always, Julie
Who lovely is that , how lovely is that!!
“April on tossed hair” – I love that image. Also the holding on “like bark”. A beautiful April poem! And the ending, with the child (I’m assuming) jumping from the tree, and being surprised at the earth so quickly meeting his/her feet is a gem. Thank you for the experience of your poetry, Ethel!
“when
the earth jumps up fast to meet your legs.”
So is that why it is called “spring”? 😛
When I come away from a blog having smiled out loud and feeling a joy in my heart that was not there before I read it then I know that is poetry!!
David
What a lovely family combination here!
April on tossed hair; branches stuck in seas of sky… excellent!
I love this, Ethel! From ‘April on tossed hair…’ and onwards it is such a simple but special expression of how lovely if precarious early spring is. The last lines reminded me of how last evening, as I was filling the feeders, a squirrel jumped down out of the branches above me with a thud in escape!
Delightful!
OH, dear Ethel, this poetic description of swinging down out of budding trees in springtime brings back so many of my own childhood memories and memories of the antics of my children–and now my grandchildren! How every wonderful is springtime and new life and new hope!
I so enjoy the geometry of squares arranged in a grid, a mandala of sorts, so colourful and playful for my eyes, yet grounding in the mind.
Reblogged this on Eremophila’s Musings and commented:
May you all enjoy these words as much as I.
I love this poem, it captures the joys of April, of youth and so much more.