Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #143 – Colorful April, National Poetry Month
This week, for Lens-Artists Photo Challenge, Amy invited us to look at the colorful April that spring brings us. Every year, the cold of winter melts away and spring brings a new beginning.
April is National Poetry Month. I’ll include a poem “A Light Exists in Spring” by Emily Dickinson.
Every year, the cold of winter melts away and spring brings a new beginning. The nature and the creatures wake up from their hibernation, stretch the limbs and pop the heads up to give us a big smile.
The flowers in my garden invited me to give them a visit.
When I take my afternoon walk, the vibrant colors stopped me more and more frequently to capture their beauty.
I’m grateful for living in a community with the walking/hiking/horse trails snake through the cities. These trails are in the neighborhood yet they seem to be away from the distractions of voices and noises.
A Light exists in Spring
by Emily Dickinson
A Light exists in Spring
Not present on the Year
At any other period —
When March is scarcely here
A Color stands abroad
On Solitary Fields
That Science cannot overtake
But Human Nature feels.
It waits upon the Lawn,
It shows the furthest Tree
Upon the furthest Slope you know
It almost speaks to you.
Then as Horizons step
Or Noons report away
Without the Formula of sound
It passes and we stay —
A quality of loss
Affecting our Content
As Trade had suddenly encroached
Upon a Sacrament.
Written in around 1864 but not published until 1896 (as with many of Dickinson’s poems), ‘A Light Exists in Spring’ beautifully captures the way that spring slowly appears in our consciousness, like a light in the distance. The final stanza of Dickinson’s poem also seems to acknowledge what we now call ‘SAD’ or Seasonal Affective Disorder, with the passing of spring affecting our contentedness.
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Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #143 – Colorful April
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The Showers of Blessings 
What gorgeous pictures Miriam. I love the flowers in your garden.
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Thank you, Carla. This is the time to plant new annual flowers for the summer bloom. I hope you’ve received the book.
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Not yet, but I will let you know when it comes.
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Thank you, Carla. Let me check with a few friends to see if they’ve received it.
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Our delivery in Canada is slow……
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Yeah, it could be the reason. I think I’ll cancel the trip to Banff in August because the border of not open yet. I’ll go to Canada dinner other time. We’ll go to Alaska again.
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My husband and I went to Banff a few times as well as an Alaskan Cruise for our 25th Anniversary. I would love to go again. I am jealous.
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Yes, it’ll be for our 25th anniversary. We didn’t go anywhere for two years.
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Lovely pictures Miriam. Happy Spring and thanks for sharing Dickinson’s poem.
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Happy Spring to you, Balroop. In my poetry group, someone borrowed a book about Dickinson and it has pictures of her poems written on pieces of paper and the back of the envelops and any paper she could have while hiding in her room. Many poems were published with editing, the capital and small letters, the punctuation, and the dashes, and no titles. As far as title, some other poems have no titles, so the first line was used as the title.
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A lovely post, Miriam. Thank you for sharing your pictures and this poem.
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You’re welcome, Robbie. There are so many poems about April or spring.
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Yes, spring is a popular time of year.
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The poem goes well with your beautiful pictures.
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Thank you very much, Valentina!
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What a gorgeous post, Miriam! Those glorious trees are the perfect finale. Hugs on the wing.
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They made me smile, Teagan! Congratulations on your Journey 4. I didn’t respond to your last comment soon enough and it faded away. I’m glad you use all of your research.
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Spring sprung to the full, Miriam!
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Those trees call to me, Miriam! Thanks for sharing these pictures and the poem. 🙂
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Wonderful response Miriam – loved them all, as well as the poem, but my favorite is the plant – is it an aloe?
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They are in my nextdoor neighbor’s front yard. When I removed mine, I discovered that they crawl, set roots and expand.
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Those photos just brightened my day. Thank you, Miriam.
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Beautiful captures, Miriam. 😊
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You definitely live in a beautiful place! My favorite photo is of the succulents — but I’m not sure of their name.
Thanks for contributing your colorful post this week.
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The colors are gorgeous!
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Lovely environment. I’m familiar with the succulent you have photographed but don’t know the name. Do you? Happy spring, Miriam!
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I think they are Rosularia in my next door neighbor’s front yard. I used to have them but removed them to make room for something else. Happy spring to you, Claire.! https://succulentsbox.com/products/rosularia-platyphylla-succulent?rfsn=3527188.678e50
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Wow. Spring is springing where ever you live. Beautiful!
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Your trails are gorgeous, Miriam. What a joy to walk them. Is that dogwood in the top picture? One of my favorite flowering trees.
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The bikers like the trails. My husband got his mountain bike out.
That’s a plum tree. It has early blooms. The timing of the bloom, the sun, and the bees must be orchestrated just right for good harvest. I hope to have plums this summer. Dogwood is very pretty.
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A plum tree! Thank you for telling me.
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What stunning photos, Miriam! Thank you for sharing and Dickinson’s poem was the perfect pairing!
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I so enjoyed your garden, Miriam. These flowers bring me smiles. A beautiful poem to accompany your photos.
Thank you for reminding us April is National Poetry Month.
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Great photos, and the poem seems so much younger than 150 years – very modern!
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Yes, a lovely poem. And the photographs are beautiful.
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Your garden is magnificent, Miriam, and full of colour.
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Beautiful photos, Miriam and I love Emily’s Dickinson’s poetry. ❤ Xx
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Your photographs are gorgeous, Miriam. xo
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Fabulous images, Miriam. Toni x
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Beautiful photos of your garden, Miriam 🙂 A perfect poem to accompany them! Xo
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