Creosote bushes
yellow flowers blown
pollen litters the ground.
Saguaro blossom
in wedding white cone.
Bees come sniffing around.
Mothers Day bonnet
decidedly shown
the cactus early crowned.
I can not believe that parts of the US had snow, yet again, yesterday. Here in the desert we are hurling toward summer. Already the Saguaros are starting to flower. In a couple of weeks, just in time for Mothers Day they will have white crowns of flowers around their tops. Yesterday I watched a quail with ten little quailets scurry through my fence and walk around under the bushes. It looked like one mom and ten little babies, no bigger than golf balls. On the top of my fence sat the male on look out. It was fun to watch those ten little ones scurrying in ten different directions, going forward and back, depending on what took their attention. It did make me think of toddlers in the play yard.
Today's poem is written in triplets, three lined stanzas, with rhyme. Can you try writing your own triplet today? Pick a plant or animal from your world and experiment. Have fun writing.
The Friday Poetry Roundup is hosted this week by Renee LaTulippe on her blog, No Water River. You can find more poetry from other children's poets here.
Lovely poem, Joy. I've never seen saguaro! Must look it up. :)
ReplyDeleteThere are those that say the only state in the US where you can find the Saguaro is in Arizona. Mostly, they are found in the Sonoran Desert. The cacti are 50 to 75 years old before they set out arms. There are some Saguaro around here that have 10-12 arms. They must be over 150 years old. Their thorns/needles grow along spines that run vertically up the plant making an accordion like structure that expands and contracts as the plant has water. They really are cool, tall plants. Indians harvest the fruit and make an alcoholic drink from the fruit that sets after the blossoms. The inside of the fruit is red and the birds love it too. The seeds are dropped everywhere leaving red splotches on the ground.
DeleteThanks Jama for asking about Saguaro.
If any one knows a name for the form I wrote in, please let me know. I was up late last night trying to see if I was following someone's set form. There are three triplets. Five syllables in the first and second line, six in the third. The rhyming pattern is
Delete1 = X 5 syllables
2 = A 5 syllables
3 = B 6 syllables
Lines 2 in each stanza rhyme, as do lines 3.
The first line in each stanza ends in alliteration.
I really isn't as difficult as it sounds.
I love that 'wedding white cone', Joy, & the form is so interesting. One of my favorite experiences in 'your' country is seeing those wonderful gambel's quail, & to see ten little babies-oh my, what a scene. And the saquaro, majestic! Plus the creosote bushes-much to love around you! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteCome visit me sometime. You'd be welcome as long as I'm here.
DeleteOh, perfect bonnets!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you liked it, Donna.
DeleteWhat a great post. Full of photos, poems, and information. Joy, I loved hearing more about the Saguro. You described it so well. I could imagine the cactus expanding and contracting. I was surprised to learn that pollen gets as thick there as here in NC. I'm hoping that a poem about the quail family is coming soon.
ReplyDeleteWe get as much pollen as you do, it just isn't from pine trees.
DeleteI'll think on the quail family.
I love your glimpse of spring -- so very different from ours in the midwest and east coast!
ReplyDeleteYes, the last snow we had was a sprinkling in December, and it has been awhile since we've had any rain.
DeleteIt is my favorite time of year when the saguaros get "crowned". Your poem captures spring in the desert, Joy. =)
ReplyDelete