Editor's Thoughts/Carry On--By Karen O'Leary--United States

Dear Whispers’ Friends,

You are my writing family, friends I feel honored to share the gift of words with.  As we regroup, we will find our way forward.  I hope you will enjoy reading some of my poetry in May.  If you have any suggestions, please send them to me with the subject of WHISPERS’ SUGGESTION.  As a growing creative community, our fabric is woven of many voices—each yarn a different hue.  That makes us special.

This poem captures the essence of what I would like to share with you today.  Many of you are familiar with this piece, but I hope it will still convey something meaningful.

Carry On

Some days are long;

the road gets tough.

We give it our all

and that is enough.

Friends share our toils

and carry us through.

We learn about love

and generosity too.

We sing of the gift

of a warm embrace.

It lifts our burden

from a weary place.

We learn to look

for others in need.

With grateful hearts,

we spread love’s seed.

Some days are long;

the road is tough.

We give our best

and that is enough.

Wishing you the best always, my friends.  My thoughts and prayers go with you.

Blessings,

Karen O’Leary

Whispers’ Editor

Bilingual Haiku--By--Chen-ou Liu--Canada

wolf moon
a stranger's smell
on her body

狼月
陌生人的氣味
在她身上
_____________

cherry blossom rain
her fragrance lingers
in my mind

櫻花雨
她的香味徘徊
在我的腦海裡

_____________

those three words
then silence ...
a gap in the clouds

那三個字
然後一陣沉默 ...
雲層中出現破口

_____________

a dragonfly pauses
between sunshine  and shade
to stay or to go

蜻蜓停頓
在陽光和陰影之間
要留下或離開

_____________

drift of a leaf ...
the end
of my shift work

漂泊的一片葉子 ...
我的輪班工作
已結束

_____________

Chen-ou Liu is the author of four books, including Following the Moon to the Maple Land (First Prize Winner of the 2011 Haiku Pix Chapbook Contest). His tanka and haiku have been honored with many awards. To read more of his poems, please go to Poetry in the Moment, http://chenouliu.blogspot.com/  

The Owl and the Fish--By Jack Horne--England

The Owl and the Fish

I asked an owl which way to go; 

alas, she didn't seem to know. 

A fish was swimming by my side 

and said he'd always be my guide.

Jack Horne enjoys reading and writing poetry.

In Review…--Gerald Heyder--United States

In Review…

My family was my treasure,

yes, they were beyond measure.

They are gone like yesterday

and can never return.

Oh, what memories to fill

my heart and soul album,

my emptiness weighs a ton.

People put flowers on graves

then depart and forget.

I prefer flowers in my heart

where they’re set in cement.

My life has run amuck

like a limping duck,

stuck on the ground

I cannot fly to be

Bound for heaven’s glory,

I’m a sad sorry story.

(Where your treasure is

there will your heart be also.

—Sermon on the Mount)

Gerald Heyder is a published poet from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Ambrosia--By Paul Callus--Malta

Ambrosia

(HexSonnetta)

Beside the gurgling stream

I sit upon the grass

and watch the shards of glass

(reflected rays that gleam)

alone, as I daydream

below the clouds that pass.

Away from urban din

it’s peaceful all around

except for nature’s sound

that flows along akin

to music soft within

where strings of joy are found.

My senses taste with greed

and on ambrosia feed.

Paul Callus is a Maltese author who writes both in Maltese and English. He has contributed to several anthologies. Apart from poetry he writes lyrics for songs and has published two books, one a story book aimed at children (related to his experience as a teacher) and a historical book based on research.

A Fading Memory--By Eleanor Michael--United States

A Fading Memory

I enlist the help

of a wind-up timer

and reminder lists.

The timer wakes me

if I doze, reminds me

to check food left

cooking on the stove.

Reminder lists function

as a guide to leftovers

in the big deep freeze

as well as what I need

from the grocery store.

This only goes bad

if I forget to buy

a new “to do” pad.

Eleanor Michael has published poetry and short stories in a variety of venues.

Haiku--By John McDonald--Scotland

grandfather's house -
stripping wallpaper
finding a strange language
___________

barn dance -
on silver strings
spider polkas
___________

moon
in the window
...both of us waning
___________

light
of a distant daffodil
...sunrise
___________

John McDonald is a retired stone-mason who came to haiku in the mid-nineties. He fell in love with the genre immediately. Being a writer in the Scots language this genre fitted so well with Scots: a language steeped in rural life and having a natural succinctness to it. John has his own blog in Scots, with English versions: http://zenspeug.blogspot.com  He enjoys being involved in translations, working with the very fine Irish poet Gabriel Rosenstock on various ventures, the most recent being translations into Irish and Scots of the great haiku poet Buson: Moon over Tagoto and has appeared in many anthologies.

Freedom--By Tom Davis--United States

Freedom

Brown leaves, curled and frost covered
Crunch beneath my feet
Morning air crackles
Its freshness burns my nose

By a fallen tree, I sit
I turn for my father
He is not there
I cradle his Winchester
Shafts of light beam down
Dotting the forest floor 

Ringing echoes down the hall
I swing my feet to the floor
I rise to face a cloudy mirror
Eyes, empty as a beggar’s cup
Stare back,
Turning, I stretch to my toes
And grind my fists into my back
I plod the cement floor
To grasp cold bars

Another day begins

In his younger years, Tom Davis served as a Special Force Combat Diver. It seems to him that he spent more time on, in, and under the water than as a landlubber. This and other adventures he has written about in his memoir, The Most Fun I Ever Had With My Clothes On: A March From Private to Colonel. http://www.oldmp.com/davismemoirs

Summer Rain--By Maurice J. Reynolds--United States

Summer Rain

Dark clouds fill the sky,

the opening act for the

thunder and lightening

show waiting to take stage,

threatening all the fixings

of a fierce storm, until the

warm air and sparkling light

arrive with a change of plans,

ordering a gentle summer rain.

Maurice J. Reynolds is a freelance writer who has had material published in various publications. He is the owner of To God be the Glory! Publications, a literary ministry that produces the poetry publication Creative Inspirations.  More information can be found at: www.tgbtgpublictions.com. 

Calliope--By Christine Tate--United States

Calliope

The heavenly calliope

God's ballad of love,

an ethereal melody

sent down from above.

It permeates the spirit

and the mind consoles,

fills one with peace

and soothes the soul.

The ear finds pleasure

and His children rejoice

upon hearing the sound

of God's beautiful voice!

(Calliope means "beautiful voice")

Christine Tate has been writing since 1994. She's the mother of 3 sons and has 8 grandchildren. She was widowed in 2007 and met her husband Artie, a widower with 6 children & 12 grandchildren, in a nursing facility where their mothers resided. They've been happily married 4 1/2 years. They describe their meeting as "God's divine appt." because of their faith, and the fact that they swore they'd never marry again. 

At the Seaside--By Claudia Messelodi--Italy

At the Seaside--English

A ship sails

from the shining shore; 

shimmering sea waves

spread secrets and shells all around 

on the sleeping sand;

the seagull's shout

soothes our sorrows

as we sit in the shifting shade

of a scampish sun,

wrapped in the stifling shroud

of sweetish sweat -

sensing our soul solitude,

sipping the salty sap of the summer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In riva al mare—Italian

Una nave salpa

dalla sponda splendente,

onde luccicanti

cospargono la sabbia addormentata

di conchiglie e segreti,

il richiamo del gabbiano

lenisce i nostri lamenti

mentre sediamo nell'ombra fluttuante 

di un sole pazzerello,

avvolti in un soffocante sudario

dal gusto dolciastro -

avvertendo la solitudine dell’anima,

sorseggiando la linfa salata dell'estate.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Previously published in Of Sun and Sand, Kind of a Hurricane Press, June 2013.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Claudia Messelodi lives in Italy where she works as a foreign language teacher at a secondary school. She is the author of five poetry collections. She loves writing haiku and other short forms of poetry both in English and Italian and sometimes in other foreign languages too. Her poetry has appeared in many anthologies and publications over the last few years and was also honored with several awards.

“Have It Your Way”*--By Renee’ Drummond-Brown--United States

“Have It Your Way”*

Two all beef prose
Special words
Literature
Consonance
Poetry
Onomatopoeia
On a
Stanza seed bun.

Dedicated To: “You Deserve a Break Today”*

*McDonald’s Corporation Slogans

Renee’ Drummond-Brown, is an accomplished poetess/writer. She is a graduate of Geneva College (CUBM) with experience in creative writing. She is working on her fourth book and has numerous works published globally. Her love for creative writing is undoubtedly displayed through her very unique style of poetry. Renee’ is inspired by non-other than Dr. Maya Angelou, because of her, Renee’ pledges “Still I write, I write, and I’ll write!”

Paint the World--By Phyllis Babcock--Canada

Paint the World

We paint our own colorful skies
Viewing them only through our eyes
We see and hear of greed, hate, anger and pain
Tales of valor, strength, fortitude and gain
We build our character to guide us along the way
Turbulence helps to cleanse our souls each day
Taking so much for granted in our routine life
Sometimes blinded by the world in its strife
We paint our own world in a colorful hues
Color can change quickly and spoil the view.

Phyllis Babcock was born in Saskatchewan, Canada in 1951 and currently resides in Regina with her husband. She has been blessed with two wonderful sons and daughter-in-laws. She has two grandsons and two granddaughters. She started writing poetry in 2004 and joined Poetry Soup site in 2006. She has been published in two anthologies, On Butterfly Wings and Snippets. Her work has also appeared on Poetry.com and in a local seniors’ newspaper. She feels writing has been a wonderful journey, meeting many new poets and writers along the way.

There is a problem on our block--By Kelley White--United States

There is a problem on our block

The old woman

who drives the gold 1963 Ford Falcon

found a litter of kittens in her hosta bushes.

The mother moved the kittens

three times, first to the empty dog house,

where the woman had laid a carpet remnant,

then to a hole she had dug near the stone fence,

then to somewhere quite unknown.

Kids found the mother

dead, run-over in the street.

Miss Emma has all the unemployed men

in the neighborhood out searching.

They are climbing ladders

and crawling under porches.

They are opening broken doors

and shining lights into abandoned houses.

Everyone is listening very very carefully.

She has me searching too.

Pediatrician Kelley White worked in inner city Philadelphia and now works in rural New Hampshire. Her poems have appeared in journals including Exquisite Corpse, Rattle and JAMA. Her most recent books are Toxic Environment (Boston Poet Press) and Two Birds in Flame (Beech River Books.) She received a 2008 Pennsylvania Council on the Arts grant.

Love, Hope and Fidelity--By Ndongolera C. Mwangupili--Malawi

Love, Hope and Fidelity

Like wine, let our love mature with time
For time tells the tales of time.

Like a seed, let our hope shoot out
For, from a shoot, fruits shoot out.

Like light, let our fidelity brighten our journey
For our destiny needs a bright journey

Ndongolera C. Mwangupili works as a Senior Inspector of Schools in Malawi. He has vast experience as a teacher of English and Bible Knowledge. Many of his short stories, poems and essays have been published in the Malawi News and Weekend Nation. His stories are anthologized in Modern Stories from Malawi and The Bachelor of Chikanda and Other Stories. His poem “The Genesis” was anthologized in The Time Traveller of Maravi: New Poetry from Malawi. His other poem “Letters to a Comrade” is published online in India on www.openroadreview.in. He believes that there is a thin line between fiction and reality. All that people write is a re-creation of what is already known to the writer and exists not only in the mind of the writer but also outside the writer, therefore, fiction is actually facts written as if they are not facts. He is married to Angella, and they have two daughters Mary Magdalena and Princess Cleopatra.

Poetry Moments--By Robert P. Hansen--United States

dense fog

smothering

the sun

_________

newborn butterfly

crumpled wings

unfolding

_________

hummingbird nest

three eggs

no bird

_________

calm day

the scarecrow

scared stiff

_________

Robert P. Hansen has published several novels (primarily fantasy and science fiction) and collections of short stories and poetry.  Visit his blog (rphansenauthorpoet.wordpress.com) for descriptions, excerpts, and links to his work.

Looking Out to Spectacle Island in April--By Marianne Szlyk--United States

Looking Out to Spectacle Island in April

The beach this time of year
is nothing but rocks.

She ignores the man
who is placing one
on top of the other,
trying to balance them.

She ignores his dog.

She is waiting for the summer
of swimming in shallow water,
baseball on the radio,
and the reggae ice cream truck
with its flavors
of soursop, mango, and rum raisin.

She is waiting.

Marianne Szlyk is the editor of The Song Is... , an associate poetry editor at Potomac Review, and a professor of English at Montgomery College. Her second chapbook, I Dream of Empathy, was published by Flutter Press. Her poems have appeared in a variety of online and print venues, including Silver Birch Press, Cactifur, Of/with, bird's thumb, Truck, Algebra of Owls, The Blue Mountain Review, and Yellow Chair Review. Her first chapbook is available (for free) through Kind of a Hurricane Press: http://barometricpressures.blogspot.com/2014/10/listening-to-electric-cambodia-looking.html   

Freedom--By Diana Dalton--United States

Freedom

Free your mind one belief at a time

Letting them flow in love's glow

Just a movie scene upon a screen

Relax, let go, enjoy the show

Diana Dalton was born in England. She grew up loving the county side which later developed and inspired her desire to capture those beautiful moments which she does through her poetry, her spiritual nature and photography. Though not a prolific writer Diana has had her poems read on Dutch radio, and has been featured in some American compilations of poetry. She will dabble and challenge herself with some recognized forms, yet most often, Diana likes the freedom of words and will take some poetic license even to inventing nonexistent words together with her husband and fellow poet, Yancy Dalton.

Partners in Poetry--ayaz daryl nielsen and Peggy Dugan French, United States

can’t turn away

By ayaz daryl nielsen and Peggy Dugan French, United States

things will blend together, as they do

you can’t turn away

new beginnings approaching

true Spring has yet to set in

your memory returns with the iris

endowing and inhabiting

I smile at the thought of us…

Porcelain--By Darrell Herbert--United States

Porcelain

Bleeding

beneath

            perfect porcelain skin

screaming

            whirring

               dripping

                    machines

Rivulets nice down cheeks

The night         mare’s  steady              gait punctures the day

Dreaming of an end

                                                            to the   e n d l e s s

Crawling out, crawling

                                    up

                                                the

                                                            walls

Blinking under the bright fluorescent lights.

Darrell Herbert is a poet-songwriter, humanitarian, author, and activist. He is a nationally recognized poet.

Beyond the Mirror--By Glenda Frazier--United States

Beyond the Mirror

Looking through a distorted mirror

I stare closer to see my scars

People told me I was beautiful

But they couldn’t see my tainted heart

As I peer deeper into my eyes

My flaws manifested through my flesh

All my blemishes from life’s struggles

Brand me from my painful past

The fear of rejection, sicknesses and failures

Bruises inflicted from everyday stress

Yet my image couldn’t portray the peace I felt

Despite my ordeals, I held on tightly to my faith

                                                                       

At last I saw my true beauty through perfect eyes

Displayed was my perfection from a loving God

Who told me my scars gave me tough skin

Scars far more valuable because they were deep

He showed me how Jesus healed my many wounds

I wear them now as a badge of honor

A vision of loveliness far more stunning to behold

My tough skin can no longer be broken                                             

Glenda Frazier and her husband Andre reside in Pace, Florida.  She has been writing poetry for over 20 years and has finally compiled some of them in her most recent book, Poems that Bleed.  She enjoys writing and spending time with her family and friends.  God has instructed her to share her book of poems as an inspirational tool to witness to the lives of her readers.

mosaic of dreams and hope--By Jeanette Nel le Roux--South Africa

mosaic of dreams and hope

if restlessness never ceases in the soul

how do we know when the circle of youth is complete -

at what age are we defined as old

old enough to die?

life and love - an exciting epoch

beautiful, like flowers in springtime

but they never last without rain

and weather in storms

endless graveyards are built by man -

some are parthenons for the dead

but what should be erected for those

who are dead but still exist?

let's build a mosaic of dreams and hope

on a pedestal of non-death –

a catharsis - a jubilation

for being alive

Jeanette Nel le Roux lives in the tranquil town of Mossel Bay on the beautiful Garden Route in South Africa since 1990.  She is a real estate agent since 1976, divorced in 2007, has 3 daughters and a son.  Jeanette's home language is Afrikaans, but she writes in both English and Afrikaans.  She has a poetry group on Facebook called "Jeanette Nel le Roux Poetry".  Jeanette seriously started writing poetry when her soulmate died in 2009.  She is published in several poetry books, together with other poets, but she will publish one of her own in the near future.

Children in the Sky--By Michael Lee Johnson--United States

Children in the Sky 

There is a full moon,

distant in this sky tonight,

Gray planets planted

on an aging white, face.

Children, living and dead,

love the moon with small hearts.

Those in heaven already take gold thread,

drop the moon down for us all to see.

Those alive with us, look out

their bedroom windows tonight,

we smile, then prayers, then sleep.

Michael Lee Johnson is a poet, editor, publisher, freelance writer, amateur photographer, small business owner in Itasca, Illinois.  He has been published in more than 880 small press magazines in 27 countries, and he edits 10 poetry sites.  Michael is the author of The Lost American:  From Exile to Freedom, several chapbooks of poetry, including From Which Place the Morning Rises and Challenge of Night and Day, and Chicago.  See his website for more about him http://poetryman.mysite.com/     

WHISPERS' APRIL ACTIVITY--SPRING COUPLETS

Dear Whispers’ Family,

The April writing activity has featured a two-pronged emphasis: writing about a specific theme: Springtime, as we sharpened our skills in the art of Rhyming Couplets. I expected a robust response to this fun activity and this was truly the case. Thank you to all who sent in poems. Let’s enjoy the happiness of the season wrapped in ribbons of poetry. Please join in the fun by clicking the “reply” button and commenting.

Michael Escoubas, Whispers’ Features Editor

_________

On the Eve of Palm Sunday

Shoppers pause by the garden store –           

green-fingered incentives galore

By the plants, one woman gazes

then chooses white saxifrages

“The fragrance will evade his smell,

They’re for my husband’s grave, she tells.”     

Mary Gunn, Ireland

_________

Spring Warning

All birdfeeders must now come down

Now that the bears have come around

They’re hungry, looking for a feed

They’ll flip the feeders, spill out seed

And make a mess of your new garden

And never ask you for a pardon.

  

Kelley J. White, United States

_________

Walking Through Woods in Spring

Cool rainy Spring, firm harbinger for days

of heat and humidity ahead, stays

third place on my chart of pleasing seasons.

Hopelessness quickly sprouts two more reasons:

Ticks, sand fleas come out leaping and hopping.

Of their itchy bites, there be no stopping.

Barbara Robinette--United States

_________

Absurd

Little Bird!  Little Bird!

Have you heard not a word

It’s Absurd, Little Bird

Tom Cat stirred, Tom Cat purred

Not a word have you heard

Silly Bird!  Silly Bird! 

Elizabeth Howard, United States

_________

How?

Snow is on the crocus now.

It will not last. I wonder how

The flowers know it’s time to grow

And then to splash a splendid show

Of springtime beauty all around

while firmly anchored in the ground.

Mary O. Monical, United States

_________

Spring Hunt

Vacant chair at the table, empty swing out back

no light at the windows everything's all black.

The house is locked and shuttered closed tighter than a drum

nothing but the mountain breeze, summer's yet to come.

Lantern by the kitchen door no longer can be found

Grandpa's gone a huntin' the echo of the hounds.

Barbara Tate, United States

_________

Spring Invigorates

Compared to other seasons Spring is the king

Most adored; remains above all rating.   

Colorful in sky sweet smelling on earth

Caressing the body with subtle touch

Spring brings short changes in our lives

What is lost through other seasons it revives. 

Aju Mukhopadhyay, India

_________

Spirals of Energy

Witch hazel you free spirit
shining yellow you're twilit.

Curving and curling
your branches whirling.

Bending your pliant limbs
divine me a dowse when the moon dims.

Pat Geyer, United States

_________

Spring Fever

The scent of flowers as they come to bloom

Retreat the snow, the grey and gloom

Rays of sun, beam bright and warm

Bringing to life the buzz and swarm

With spirits now free, we sing a new tune

As we are thankful for this, this sunny afternoon

Langley Shazor, United States

_________

Wild Roses of Spring

The wild roses bloom in the April sun,

But droop and fade when the spring is done.

When the spring is gone, they fade and die,

And no one knows the reason why,

Or why beauty's gone while it's still so young,

And why spring's song is so quickly sung.

Kathleen Murphy, United States

_________

The Sweetness of Spring

Honey bees carefully carried in their home
beckoned by batons of wind they roam,

new spring flowers to see and savour
hair bells and bluebells, laden with nectar,

creatively combined in a busy hive
impatiently I wait for honey to arrive.

Annie Jenkin, England

_________

Falling into Season

The sky above is the brightest blue

Mountains shine through with a sunlit hue

I feel the ripples of soft sweet air

My fingers touch grass naked and bare

Feeling the body not on the ground

I want to dance around and around

Isha Wagner, New Zealand

_________

Spring

The many-hued flowers of spring, 

What delight to my soul they bring!

Flowers of the Kachnar* trees, 

Gift their fragrance to the breeze.

A time for rebirth and release -

Sing the butterflies and the bees.

Neena Singh, India

*Kachnar - Bauhinia Blakeana is an evergreen tree,  with large thick leaves and striking purplish red flowers. The fragrant, orchid-like flowers are usually 10-15 cm across, and bloom from early November to the end of March.

_________

Birth of a Season

We all welcome the longer days

of Spring and her blossoming ways.

But her storms are filled with wonder,

lightning and abundant thunder.

These labor pains of creation

wreak havoc across the nation.

Candace Armstrong, United States

_________

Spring Time

Wearing emerald skirts, here comes stunning spring.

Hark! You can almost hear the lovely bluebells ring!

Pretty pink blossom dresses the Sakura trees.

It will fall like confetti on the zephyr breeze.

Daffodils raise their sleepy heads in a blaze of gold.

Colourful crocuses and irises are a joy to behold.

Jan Allison, Isle of Man

_________

Spring's Return

I've waited for this since the last autumn color

fled from our tree to become ground cover.

I longed for this through all the gray days

of short winter sun, feeling cold always.

Now green beginnings, warmth, colors abound,

birds fill my garden with bright chirping sounds.

Joan Leotta, United States

_________

Seasonal Splendour

Amid a misty new day dawning
dewdrops settle on petals forming

Birdsong echoes in fields of green
newborn arrivals herald the scene

Colourful hues of seasonal splendour
filling my heart so graceful and tender.

Allan Ball, England

_________

Joys of Springtime

The flowers that grow, the birds that sing,

I enjoy all that Springtime brings!

David Fox, United States

_________

Spring

The daffs abundant in the ground

and lambs are gamboling around

to show that Spring is here at last—

hard winter days are in the past!

Jack Horne, England

_________

Hello Beautiful World

The world is filled with flowers and trees

with green grass and honey bees.

Oh how I like the beautiful sky

when all the birds come flying by.

With tall trees and little squirrels;

Oh how I like this beautiful world.   

                                                            

Glenda B. Frazier, United States

_________

Evening Fade

The scent of lilacs wafts across the air
like rainbows fading to pastel flair.

With cloudy background splotched in darkest gray
the weeping willow brightens green to stay.

And frogs begin their moonlight serenade
as breezes ripple shadows to fade.

Diane Webster, United States

_________

Le printemps

Before we see the burgeoned bloom,

it preens in Nature’s own Green Room.

Richard Carl Subber, United States

_________

Spring Sprung

Warm sunny days, but a distant memory.

Like a prisoner held captive, I just want to be free.

Blossoming flowers, and budding trees.

Soft gentle rain, the birds and the bees.

These are the things, I’d love to see.

If Spring would only come, and rescue me.

David LaRue Alexander, United States 

_________

First Signs of Spring

I woke to the tinkling of melting snow,

flowing from my roof to the ground below.

And a robin's chirp, in a nearby tree,

sounded like he was serenading me.

I opened my window to sniff the air,

and sure enough it smelled like spring out there.

Emile Pinet, Canada

_________

Blossom

People wearing calico short-sleeved shirts

The streets are embellished by bare-legged skirts

The amiable April sun does its ultimate best

And even my thoughts are airily dressed

Inge Wesdijk (Daginne Aignend) the Netherlands

_________

A Calming Connection

An untouchable soul mate

A friend spiritual and intimate

A renewal and a release of stress

When the day`s discordance`s senseless

The body`s bushed and the mind`s whizzing

It takes the magic of a melody to get life soaring   

Ndaba Sibanda, Kuwait

_________

Spring Flowers

At last the tiny buds have shown their heads

And catch the sun that warms the flower beds

The snow is gone, the grass is growing green.

A sense of new life permeates the scene.

They dance in wild abandon in the breeze

That teases them with random melodies.

Pam H. Murray, Canada

_________

Odiferous Omen

My first clue we’re done with winter’s ravage

The yellow blossoms of the Skunk Cabbage

My heart sings when I see their beauty swell

Their golden hues emerge before their smell

Yes, their putrid odor makes my heart sing

The irony of their stink brings us spring

Jim Teeters, United States

_________

Spring Springing

  

Sweet smell in the air shows springs sprung

Birds sing through spring air with bird tongue

Feel of happiness is everywhere

Could it be, spring is what we share?

Spring time comes only once a year

Yes springs sprung for our joyous tear

  

Yancy Lee Dalton, United States

_________

Springtime (English)

And after cold days now the sun

Delights the heart with graceful fun

Now fresh grass in the spring breeze swing

Birds somewhere in the distance sing

The sky before yet gray not new

Changed now to vivid royal blue

****

Frühlingszeit  (German)

Nach kalten Tagen jetzt die Sonne

erfreut die Herzen voller Wonne

Und frisches Gras im Frühlingswind

sprießt überall und recht geschwind

Der Himmel kürzlich trist und grau

erstrahlt erneut in Königsblau

Gert Knop, Germany

________

spring lane

as I drive the river road at dawn

I catch the scent of freshly- cut lawn

from the bank daffodils wave their greeting

true sweetness of our words on meeting

pink cherry blossoms ripen branches

as you and I decide to take our chances

Anne Curran, New Zealand

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Spring Seeds…

planted with vision

not indecision

each step with the Lord…

mutual accord

Karen O'Leary, United States

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April’s Music

Here I stand listening as you sing

and dance with lilacs in the spring.

Petunias and bluebells clap their hands

as the rose and red bud join the band.

Your yellow hair shifts in the soft breeze

as lilacs tinkle like piano keys.

Michael Escoubas, United States

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