SO MUCH YELLOW

Paloverde Tree

Goldfinch hide
in the Paloverde tree,
so much yellow
they are hard to see.

  The Foothills or Yellow Paloverde trees (Cercidium microphyllum, a member of the pea family) are blooming right now (From April to May.) All the hillsides are covered with the bright yellow blossoms.  The trees grow up to 25 feet high and have smooth green bark which is photosynthetic.  Their leaflets are tiny, little things grown bipinnately in clusters to help in preventing water loss. This morning I saw a bird perched in my Paloverde and it took me a moment or two to identify it.  Actually, I didn't identify the bird until it flew away because the golden feathers of the bird blended with the tree.

   Do you have blooming trees where you live?  Can you try writing a tree or a bird poem today?  Have fun writing.

haiku

Paloverde trees
in high winds drop their flowers
hummingbird flutters



The winds have been blowing and the trees look like they are caught in a washing machine with the branches swirling in all directions.  The winds are really strong and the little hummingbird who came to my feeder had the hardest time hovering to get a drink.  But once I wrote that "hummingbird flutters" it made me think of the butterfly effect.  Haiku and poetry can do that--make you think of things differently.
What will you write your poem about today?  Have fun writing.

haiku

Paloverde trees
blooming in yellow flowers
a goldfinch hiding


    I hope you are having a great weekend.  I'm busy trying to get my Saturday chores done.  Today is the annual Haiku Holiday in North Carolina.  Haiku enthusiasts gather at Bolin Brook Farm, take a haiku walk around the farm and write poems to share with their friends.  You can take your own haiku walk today and write a haiku.  Have fun writing.

Morning Walk

I paused this morning
on my walk
To stand and listen
to the small birds talk.

Perched high up
in the Paloverde tree
they called to each other
too-whit, too-whee.

Their calling song
made me smile
and helped me walk
an extra mile.


   It is Sunday and it is Vida de Loca day in Tucson.  This is like a big community picnic, where lots of local restaurants have booths to sell ethnic foods.  Early this morning there was a farmers market to sell local produce.  And of course there is music and dancing.  Can you write a picnic poem today?  What fun things happen at your picnics?  Have fun writing.

HUMMINGBIRD

I saw a little hummingbird
in the Paloverde tree.
He was soaking up the sun,
just like me.

He drank from the feeder.
He made a whirring sound.
But when I turned to look again
the bird could not be found.


     Here is a quick exercise--make a list of all the birds you can name in a minute.  Pick one of the birds and write your own poem.  Have fun thinking about all the bright colors birds come in and the LBJ's (little brown jobs.)  In ancient times Hawaiians used the colorful feathers for decorative clothing.  Do you know of any birds that are on the endangered species list?  Have fun learning about birds and their habitats.