Color has thrust itself on the landscape
In quick short jabs—hyacinth blue, daffodil yellow, robin red
If I had a net I could reel in the clouds like a flock of white doves
The mantra begins—mint oregano raspberry sage
Sitting amongst dandelions
I dream of wine, mellow and ripe
The sweetness of honey on my tongue
And an orange tree grown from seed.
I feel the upward thrust through the soles of my feet
First rhubarb nubbins pushing out of the dirt
First purple violets in the lawn
First handsome dandelion by the garden door.
The old cat knows it
She’s been prancing up the black walnut like a skittish kitten
Squirming luxuriously in the new grass
Rubbing her chin against some smell that I can’t even get a whiff of.
The calm air is painted with birdsong
Sun dries the ink on the page
The tug of war between Sun and Moon
Pulls the slow earth from winter to spring.
Melissa Shaw-Smith 
The old cat knows it, and now thanks to the brilliant evocation, so do we 🙂 The last four lines are especially masterful.
Kind words indeed. Thank you.
Lovely observations Melissa. I’ve been trying the last couple of weeks to capture a violet but they always end up out-of-focus or not that beautiful violet blue – you on the other hand have captured it perfectly.
Thanks, Karina. We have several kinds of violets here, each more beautiful than the last–even a small yellow one!
Melissa, the true Gardener! xo
Yes, dear Kiki, my sanity is restored every time I step outside.
Well said Melissa. You and your cat have done a masterful job of capturing spring. –Curt
Thanks, Curt. She’s a true spring kitten. Her mother was a stray who adopted us by giving birth to five kittens in our basement one fine April day.
Very nice.
I appreciate you taking the time to read and comment.
Really love that last stanza!
Thank you. I should probably have started and stopped right there! ; )
Another expertly crafted poem. I love your mantra, and the earth pulsing up through your feet.
Thanks, Roger. I find myself muttering that mantra when I water the garden–which I’ve been doing a lot lately, sad to say, due to an extremely hot, dry spring for the northeast US. Guess it’s better than singing Simon and Garfunkel songs and disturbing the wildlife!
It makes me happy that you also welcome the humble violet and dandelion! I’m surrounded by chemically maintained lawns and disapproving looks… But I also happen to know there’s a hobby beekeeper in the neighborhood, and her livestock is most appreciative. 🙂
To heck with the neighbors, I say. Give me bees any day! Thanks for reading, Sunshine, and enjoy your garden.
Very nice, “Old Cat”!
Glad you liked it, Charissa Grace. All the best, Melissa
Love that this poem is so sensorial. One goes from touch to taste. Love honey by the way, so it brought me happiness 🙂
Thanks, Virginia. Last spring I actually gathered thousands of dandelion blossoms and made wine with a friend. We used honey as the sweetener. I should be just about ready to sample!
Wow, this is quite stunning – probably the best poem I’ve read for Spring recently. So enjoyed this!! 🙂
Thanks, Suzy. I do get a bit carried away at this time of year. Winter is a very long six months with us and we all get a bit punch drunk when spring finally arrives.
I love that the soles of your feet feel the growth emerging from beneath. Such beautiful imagery!
‘If I had a net I could reel in the clouds like a flock of white doves,’
This caught my eye. I think that if you had a net you could ‘haul’ in the clouds. Just a thought,
This was lovely imagery and visual writing; the pace was just right and the plants and herbs caught the scent wonderfully – thank you – G:)
PS (just for info) you can also have:
a bevy of doves
a dole of doves
a flight of doves
a piteousness of doves
or, a pitying of doves
Who knew? G:)
Thanks for the tip, Graeme, you’re absolutely correct. Often these are early drafts that I continue to work on, so all feedback is appreciated.