Lone Crocus

Touches of spring come up out of the ground, reminding us not to despair. Warm weather is just around the corner. I saw this lone crocus shining in the pine-bark mulch along my sidewalk. The tiny green sprigs accenting the egg-yoke colored blossom is a joy to see. The daffodils are already starting to bloom as warm southerly breezes  continue through this week here in North Carolina.

Sunshine pushes through

Defying winter’s cold chill

Letting the chips fall

*****

Photo: Dwight L. Roth

First Bloom

The daffodils began showing a couple of weeks ago. I saw the buds had formed last week. Today the first bloom opened in the sunshine along my front walk. With more cold weather to come, it will be interesting to see how long it lasts.

Mild winter // cool rains

Bring daffodil bulbs to life

Blooming before spring

*****

Photo: Dwight L. Roth

Click the link to check out my e-books on Amazon Kindle:

https://www.amazon.com/Dwight-Roth/e/B017HW5AHG?ref_=dbs_p_ebk_r00_abau_000000

 

Last Blooms of Summer

Outside my kitchen window a sunflower keeps blooming
Not worried in the least about predicted frost.
Zinnias continue to bloom as well, overcoming mildew;
A great lesson for all… Bloom through to the end;
Frost is inevitable in our lives, but beauty can remain.

Photo: Dwight L. Roth
Kim at d’Verse asked us to write a Quadrille of 44 words using the prompt keep.
Join us at: https://dversepoets.com

 

March Madness

Creeping in with the beauty of March is that madness that comes with the opening of tree buds and flowers. Pear trees bloom and maples push buds, making all those little helicopters that twirl their way down to the yard. The madness of it all comes not in the beauty, but rather in the pollen that floats through the air and coats my car windows with yellow dust. People with allergies go mad!
Every year it seems March madness takes over my head, fills my sinuses and makes me ache all over. I am recovering as I write from a week of misery that wants to stay with me. Even all the excess rain has not dampened “March Madness”.

Bees still in hiding
Tree pollen floats in spring air
Short circuits senses

Merril at d’Verse asked us to write a Haibun about March Maddness. This is not the basketball madness that we experience in the Carolinas, but rather other aspects of March that may drive us crazy. I chose the allergy season that comes every year.
Join us at: https://dversepoets.com

Photo: Dwight L. Roth

Anniversaries

To everything there is a time and a season… the cycle of life.  Every year we celebrate the coming of each season on its anniversary. Spring, summer, fall and winter, all come and go with precise clockwork. Each anniversary, flowers bloom as days increase and decrease in length. In the case of my hibiscus, the anniversary blooms only last a day and then are gone and replaced. Frank Tassone reminded us that it has been one year since he started issuing his Haikai Challenges each Saturday. Anniversaries seem to come and go so quickly just like my hibiscus. The one at the top was three days ago. The one at the end of this post was taken today.

Beauty is fleeting

Seems to last only for a day

Tomorrow it’s gone

 

iPhone Photos: Dwight L. Roth

I revised a portion of my earlier hibiscus post for Frank’s Anniversary Challenge. The second flower is fresh today!

Join us at:    https://frankjtassone.com/2018/09/30/haikai-challenge-53-9-30-18-anniversary-favorite-kigo-of-the-year-haiku-senryu-haibun-tanka-haiga-renga/

Peonies

My mother had a large bed of peonies in our back yard when I was growing up. I remember the many blooms and sweet smell they produced. Now when I see peonies, it reminds me of that bed and of my Mom. Frank Tassone gave us peonies as our prompt for Haikai Saturday. This is my Tanka.

 

Long stemmed pregnant buds

Purple petals bursting forth

Spring peonies shine

One of Mom’s favorite blooms

Always reminds me of her

*******************************************************

Photo: Bing image

Written for Frank Tassone’s  Haikia Saturday. This is a tanka about my mother’s flowers.

#Haikai Challenge #36 (6/2/18): Peony (botan) #haiku #senryu #haibun #tanka #haiga #renga