Friday, May 08, 2020

Poetry Friday: Instructions on Not Giving Up, by Ada Limón


I felt this way last week: the sudden greening of the trees, spring's sneaky way of springing itself on me. There's always a day, every year, when a sudden burst or bloom makes me catch my breath. 
A beautiful and needed promise. 

Instructions on Not Giving Up
by Ada Limón


More than the fuchsia funnels breaking out
of the crabapple tree, more than the neighbor’s
almost obscene display of cherry limbs shoving
their cotton candy-colored blossoms to the slate
sky of Spring rains, it’s the greening of the trees
that really gets to me. When all the shock of white
....

(Read the whole thing here, at Poets.org.)

~~~~~~~~~~

Michelle Heidenrich Barnes has the round-up this week at Today's Little Ditty

18 comments:

Ruth said...

Thanks for reminding me of this great poem!

Michelle Heidenrich Barnes said...

This is one of those poems that Spring just wouldn't be the same without. Thanks for sharing it today, Karen.

Mary Lee said...

Oh, how I love this poem! It puts into words exactly what I've been feeling about the trees' new leaves!

Linda Mitchell said...

Now, that's some sass! I love it.
"growing over whatever winter did to us, a return
to the strange idea of continuous living despite
the mess of us, the hurt, the empty."

Linda B said...

I love it every time I read it, actually love everything she writes. But this! I have been waiting, waiting & finally many have popped out. I wrote this week how the moon was a little different peeking through the tree with leaves! Thanks, Karen, you've shared so much how we're all feeling. Happy Mother's Day!

Linda Kulp Trout said...

Simply beautiful! Just what I needed today!

Molly Hogan said...

Oh, this is simply beautiful and exactly what I needed to read this morning after a yesterday of snow, snow, snow, day-long pajamas and three (yes, three!) naps. Thank you!

skanny17 said...

Oh thank you, Karen for an introduction to this delightfully spot on poem. It describes my life these days. We get such a short and (often) glorious spring. Yesterday snow coated my poor tulips but they have survived. The pink blossoms are not out in glory yet, but who knows. The sun is shining and even thought it is colder than normal I know that the warmer, brighter times are coming. The leaves are whispering to me.
Janet Clare F.

Karen Edmisten said...

My pleasure! :)

Karen Edmisten said...

It's definitely demands an annual visit. :)

Karen Edmisten said...

Perfect, isn't it, Mary Lee?

Karen Edmisten said...

Yes, it's just the best.

Karen Edmisten said...

Happy Mother's Day to you, too, Linda! Yes, she captures the feeling so beautifully.

Karen Edmisten said...

Happy to share the beauty, Linda!

Karen Edmisten said...

Molly, I hope the snow clears out for good soon! Three naps ... that sounds perfect to me on a day like that. :)

Karen Edmisten said...

I'm happy to hear the tulips survived! Those leafy whispers can only grow stronger. :)

Karen Eastlund said...

Karen: Thank you for this poem... new to me and perfect for the week. Last weekend on a walk I took a photo that speaks to the same feeling. Spring is in the air, in spite of frost a few nights back. Thanks again...

laurasalas said...

Wow. "a return
to the strange idea of continuous living despite
the mess of us, the hurt, the empty."
Thank you for this today, Karen...so powerful.