National Poetry Month–30 Days, 30 Treasures
This year I will be celebrating National Poetry Month by writing a poem a day about a “Backyard Treasure.” Every day I will go for a walk, take a picture of a treasure I find, and then, write a poem about it. These won’t be polished poems. They will be the day’s best draft.
Today’s poem is about the daffodils blooming in my yard.
Dear Daffodil
Thank you for raising
your head in the rain.
Thank you for sounding
your silent fanfare.
Thank you for daring
to wear your bright yellow bonnet
to this endless gathering of mourners.
Thank you for huddling
in clumps like ducklings
chirruping in chorus—
“Soon we can swim!”
“Soon we can swim!”
Thank you, dear daffodil,
for coming every spring.
Happy first day of National Poetry Month!
© Elizabeth Steinglass, 2014, all rights reserved
Thank you for sharing this lovely poem with us and for the promise of 29 more!
Thanks, Rosi. I hope I can keep my promise!
What a nice idea! Today as I walked, a symphony of bird songs surrounded me. I went home and wrote a haiku about my experience.
Perhaps I will continue to try to write something everyday on my walks. Your daffodil poem is delightful.
Thanks, Patricia. I get so many ideas for poems on my walks. It sounds like you do too.
Love it. Thanks for sharing, Liz!
Thanks, Cynthia! I loved the richness you captured in your haiku.
What a welcome sight and an appropriate “thank-you” to the flowers. I am new to your blog and I look forward to your daily posts as we celebrate poetry month.
Thanks, Martha. It’s so nice to have you here. Thanks for commenting!
Liz-
I seem to have fallen off getting blog posts — but something made me think of you today and when I went to forward it I didn’t seem to have a current email address. I’ve resubscribed — and am looking forward to the April dailies. The haikus from a couple of weeks ago were lovely too!
Thanks, Anna! Did you notice I am an avid follower of yours on Pinterest?! I want to play in one of your gardens.
No — but thanks! I have been neglecting Pinterest lately (though you just reminded me of some things I’ve been wanting to pin) and focusing more on writing (including blogging — if you want to, check out: http://annaforrester.wordpress.com/ ).
The email I wanted to forward to you was o blog post from Bank Street’s Children’s Book Comiittee: http://bankstreetcollegeccl.wordpress.com/2014/04/02/childrens-book-committee-april-pick-2/
I’m not tuned in enough to poetry for children to know if the book’s format/set-up is unique, but it struck me as really interesting.
I just started following your blog. I look forward to reading it. I will also take a look at the poetry book. Thank you!
No daffodils in my area yet, so I will have to live vicariously through you! Thanks for sharing.
Looking forward to hearing about all of your special finds this month, Liz! Love these little spring ducklings and glad to see they survived their ice bath.
One of my favorite flowers – a true sign of spring. Love the open letter format and the line:
“Thank you for huddling
in clumps like ducklings”
So good!
Oh the joy of this! Thank you! What a beautiful project for a beautiful time of year. And you will have such a lovely journal of your life at this time. I linked to this post for Poetry Friday as it is the one you sent – please let me know if you’d rather I link to today’s poem. Happy Poetry Friday…thank you for the loveliness and hope.
Thank you for inspiring me to look at daffodils in a new way–huddling clumps of ducklings!
Beautiful, Liz! It’s hard for me to pick a favorite line, but I esp. like “this endless gathering of mourners.”
“Thank you for your daring.” Yes yes yes! Daffodils lead the way… thank you, Liz!
Still, in Colorado, they have not dared, Liz. Thanks for having them shout our way-beautiful picture, too.
Spring is much-awaited I can see, and what a wonderful welcome through your verse, Liz. Reminded me of The Cranberries’ song “Daffodil Lament” and its chorus: “and the daffodils look lovely today. “
What a fun project! It will be great fun to see spring unfold on your blog through your poems!