Spring's Tender Touch

Springtime rain sprinkled on the fresh mown lawn
The puddles oil floating in the sea
As winter’s lackluster melts away
With powers of an alchemist
Throwing acid in the air
To produce this breathtaking picture

Almost overnight youth has sprung
Nature’s acumen like artists
Who hone their crafts
As pastels sweep the grounds
Gauge the depth of beauty within
Supple greenery, steadfast trees-
Joy is spring’s tender touch

©laurie kolp

Prompt inspiration: The Sunday Whirl (wordle 49)- craft, joy, supple, alchemist, gauge, juices, tender, acid, oil, acumen, sprinkled, sweep

Whispering Waves



Photo by Mary Ann Potter

Do you hear the whispering
waves pleading for your
warmth?
Winter's wrath
a snobby woman
chilling to the bone
soon to be washed away
this erosion on bent knees
begs for the first breath of spring.





@laurie kolp

Picture prompt inspiration: IGWRT's The Sunday Challenge with Mary Ann Potter of From the Starcatcher

PA prompt: Spring

Spring Has Sprung When…

Pastel adulation decorates world

murals in meditative Claude Monet

reprints, an appeasing sight trailing

months of shaded gray. Symphonic Mozart

renditions harmonize melodic tunes.

Gentle breezes, sometimes gusts,

motivate revelers to wave hello.

Mother Nature’s temperate forces

unite in unspoken promise--

resting winter-weary bodies,

motivating secluded souls.

Season’s fever breaks out the Kleenex.

Pestilent pollen, budding blossoms

spring leaks in tender window eyes,

feather-tickles runny noses.

ACHOO!

That’s how you know spring has sprung.

What did he say?

My little Nicholas is such a hoot. He is forever telling "stories" about things and is so convincing that many times he can trick people into believing they are true. For instance, several weeks ago he came home from school and insisted that his teacher's mom was in the hospital. Nicholas told me the same thing several times after that. One day he said, "Guess what? Mrs.___'s mom got home from the hospital." When I saw his teacher one day at lunch, I asked her about her mother. She was clueless- her mom had not been in the hospital (but her dad had surgery before Christmas and she was a few minutes late one day).

This is just many of a thousand examples. He has done this since he was very little, making up stories about driving in a big red truck when he was in high school. Pete and I have often wondered what Nicholas' active imagination will come up with next. We have also thought about what kind of crazy things he may be saying to his teachers.

Today was priceless, though. I think this one tops it off. We were in a spring conference before school with his teacher. We know her very well because Katie and Andrew had her for first grade, too. The teacher turned to Pete and asked with sincere curiosity if he and Nicholas had killed a bear last weekend. We laughed so hard. Nicholas also said they killed a squirrel and a fish, too...right here in town. We elaborated on his creative imagination for a while and then discussed the wonderful progress he has made. Before I left, I wrote a note to my youngest to tell him how proud I was of him and left it on his desk.

Then, while waiting to pick the kids up, the teacher came out to tell me that a boy in their class had put his hands around Nicholas' neck in a choke-hold during recess. She said Nicholas wasn't hurt and the boy got in trouble, but she wanted me to know that if Nicholas got in the car and told me about it, he was not telling one of his stories. Does this sound a little like the boy who cried wolf?

And you know what else? Nicholas is my sweet, sentimental child. He had folded up the note I left for him and carried it around in his pocket all day He wanted me to put it under his pillow tonight. Sleep tight, my baby.

Nature's Painting

What would Texas be like without the beautiful wildflowers that bloom each Spring? My personal favorite is the bluebonnet and they were beginning to take over grassy fields up towards College Station. I remember when I was in college I used to love to drive home in the Spring simply because of the beautiful flowers that painted the grasses. Blues, reds, yellows and oranges decorated the huge land expanses like an artist's palette. We were not the only ones stopping to take pictures. Families, couples, friends and even pets were spotted posing for the camera as we drove by. Now is the time to capture this beautiful sight- a natural Monet painting created by Texas wildflowers. Just be sure not to pick the bluebonnets!