The treetops echo with the throaty hoot
of woodpigeons, nuthatch whistles
and the resonating thrum
of woodpeckers. All colours glow:
the orange of the blackbird’s bill,
the new green leaves,
milky wood anemones and golden celandines;
through the dapples stray
the first few butterflies.
Soon the swallows
will wake from hibernation
and squirm free from the mud;
from every pond
in ones and twos, then flocks,
like huge blue mayflies
pulling themselves free
of surface tension
and basking to dry their feathers in the sun
before a first flickering flight of spring
to gorge on midges.
~~~~~
I quite like the idea here, but the language is a bit earthbound at the moment. hohum.
3 replies on “napowrimo 3: Spring”
Yes, that is a rather arresting image!
I also like the over-the-top alliteration of the last two lines.
I find it interesting the way ideas like this managed to become widely accepted by everyone despite a complete absence of evidence. Not that hibernation seems that much less plausible than flying to Africa, which is where British swallows actually go in winter. Though underwater hibernation would be tricky unless they developed gills, like axlotls.