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Hot, muggy weather has arrived here in our “neck of the woods”. I find it spectacularly unpleasant, but there are still aspects that can be enjoyed…such as the fact that fragrances seem to become trapped in the thick, steamy air. Who doesn’t want to be enveloped in what almost seems like a blanket of floral perfume?
Continue reading “Haiku: The Bees’ Brambles”
Among the myriad plants that are currently blooming, the unassuming blackberries have also put forth their flowers. Enthusiastically. Seeing those white blossoms means that, in the heat of summer, juicy blackberries will hang heavily from the vines, inviting careful picking (lest the thorns should grab).
Yes, they may not have the glamor of the scarlet peonies, or the ethereal beauty of creamy elderflowers, but these blooms should still be appreciated for what they are: the precursor to one of summer’s most beloved berries.
May the pollinators reach every single bloom and may there be many succulent berries soon!
If you have hedge apple trees (also called Osage Orange), you know about the long, sharp thorns. It makes sense that it was once used as natural fencing – who or what would dare push through that? Having tangled with it more than once, I keep this particular tree pruned back so that none of the spines are at eye level (!), yet leave enough branches to create an aerial predator-unfriendly shelter for the fowl (though those thorns can also get stuck in their feet and result in bumblefoot). I consider this a truce of sorts, being extremely loath to cut down any trees.
For those who like to look for hidden meanings in poetry – as I do – perhaps this poem could also be metaphorical. Who knows?