Bizzy

Or should that maybe, with that bee so hard at work, be 'buzzy' instead?

This rhododendron, which is probably 12 feet tall, has in the past always done me the honour of opening on Mother's Day. But this year, it decided to open early. 

I'm not complaining. It's always beautiful, but usually opens after the lilacs are spent. This year, both of them are gloriously in bloom, almost as if they're trying to compete with each other. 

In my mind, neither is 'winning'--I'm just grateful to have so much beauty outside the front door. 

The Joys of Celebrating National Poetry Month

The theme for this year's National Poetry Month is Joy, so it's fun to think of the many ways poetry brings joy to people. 

Last week, I was part of a group who spoke as a delegation to Surrey's City Council in celebration of National Poetry Month. The presentation is about twelve minutes long, but in case you'd like to see some or all of it, here's the link to our presentation. 

That stack of poetry books beside my springtime tulips represents some of my favourite recent reads. I'm especially joyous over the fact that Susan Musgrave's latest collection, Exculpatory Lilies is a finalist, on the longlist for this year's Griffin Prize. The shortlist won't be announced until next week, on the 19th, but I certainly have my fingers crossed, as I think it's an amazing book (and apparently, I'm not the only one -- here's a review from CBC Books).

Musgrave's husband Stephen Reid died in 2018. And then, in 2020, their daughter Sophie was gone. 

The poems are some of the bravest I've ever read, as many of them deal directly with the problems both Stephen and Sophie shared. Yet despite the sadness that prevails, Musgrave's wonderful sense of humour shines through like sunlight poking through the branches of a forest. So even in the midst of a book that in many ways is an extended elegy, joy comes our way. 

Find a book of poetry to poke your nose into, and while you're there, seek its joy -- and then, maybe think about finding a way to share it. 

Re-Eastering

We're having Easter all over again, as today marks the observance of Orthodox Easter. It seems to usually fall one week after the Western Christian celebration, though sometimes the dates can be even farther apart -- and sometimes even on the same date. Complicated. Nonetheless, even the pie crow who lives on the windowsill above the kitchen sink seems to be enjoying himself.

We celebrate both Easters, and do so in pretty much the same way, following a number of traditions. Although the menu mostly contains the same elements, the way they're prepared may vary a bit. Last week the main course of lamb was chops on the barbie. Tonight it will be a pair of slow-roasted lamb shanks. Still, the traditional lamb appears both times and, of course, the beautiful coloured eggs are always part of the celebration -- a fresh batch each time.

Last week, I received quite a few Easter greetings, and one of them contained a phrase that made such good sense to me. It referred to the Easter observance as one marking the 'resurrection of life' -- a perfect description of the many forms of new life that occur in springtime.

Everywhere I look, I see the blossoms on the fruit trees, the bulbs now bearing flowers, the seedlings sprouting in the kitchen garden. After a challenging winter, all these signs of regeneration bring hope and the promise of better days.

Cheery pink blossoms

Today, the halfway mark through National Poetry Month was the day my poetry group had our monthly meeting. Virtual, of course -- necessary not only because we're observing social distancing, but essential as one of our members is currently living in England.

It turned out that all of us have been coming up with new poems, thankfully not all of which focus on the v-word. You know the word I mean, the one we keep hearing what seems like too much about.

Thinking of writing new poems, my thoughts turned to the annual Haiku Invitational, part of Vancouver's annual Cherry Blossom Festival (which I think this year we ought to rename the Cheery Blossom Festival). The competition is on through May and entries are free, so it might be fun to try.

To make it easy for people who may not live in Vancouver, they've given us a choice of several virtual tree walks which may help you come up with a few word images. But even if these don't inspire you to write some haiku, they're sure to give you a nice sense of springtime. Enjoy!