Spring Cleaning

The old trellis is still standing, top-heavy
with verdant honeysuckle leaves
and studded with dark pink buds.
Below the greenery, old woody
branches tangle with dusty shadows,
hunchbacked hollows of musty
undergrowth.  Straining against my hands,
secateurs crack and break brittle branches,
their sharp echoes scattering birds and,
deep inside the remains of an old hydrangea,
a bowl of earth and twigs crumbles
and drops into the soil. Empty nest
full of tiny feathers,
fluff and memories.

Kim M. Russell, 2nd May 2019

Image result for empty birds nest Pinterest
Image found on Pinterest

My response to Imaginary Garden with Real Toads Wordy Thursday with Wild Woman: Celebrating the Ordinary, also linked to dVerse Poets Pub Open Link Night

Sherry tells us that she is moved by poems that celebrate the small ordinary joys. She shares a poem, ‘Coffee with Milk’ by Natalie Goldberg, who she says is a master at writing about the ordinary ‘in a way that allows us to see the hidden depths beneath the seemingly simple words. Natalie Goldberg encourages us to celebrate the ordinary – and so does Sherry.

The prompt is to either: look around us, select small ordinary things we rarely give much thought to and include them in our poems; or write about the present moment, just as it is.

53 thoughts on “Spring Cleaning”

    1. Thank you, Björn. It also has a lot to do with my daughter and son-in-law finally finding a house they like and having their offer accepted – yippee!

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  4. You snagged me with /hunchback hollows of musty undergrowth/. We had a robin’s nest in the rafters of our deck, and it was used for two years in a row.

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    1. I think the cats might have frightened the birds away from this very low nest, which was down in the shrubs. I didn’t have time to work out what kind of bird had built it as it crumbled as soon as I touched the branches. We’ve had a robin visiting us the past couple of weeks but I haven’t seen a mate.

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  6. I like the sequence of images and actions, almost like watching it unfold as you did what you did. Sounds like the birds picked a safe location for their nest, that has now started its journey to humus.

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    2. In early spring there’s always the hope that a nest full of tiny feathers has served its purpose. Some birds default to reusing old nests; some build new ones each year.

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      2. The one I found was low down in the shrubbery and looked as if it had fallen from a tree last year; it turned to dust as soon as I disturbed it. There is sadness in empty nests.

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  10. Sad, and yet, full of promise for the coming weeks and months, that time will bring to us, with patience and love. May your home and flowerbeds, be blessed with the sounds and sights of life, Kim.

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  15. Stunning, beautiful poem – I think its a favorite. It is amazing what these prompts guide us to do… Just love this.

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      1. good for you!
        Loved the milk in coffee one … very zen 🙂
        Can you please ask your friend if we can use name or url to sign in, I don’t have a google account – thanks!

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  21. I love the way this poem unfolds. I am not a gardener, but you brought me there. And it reminded me of how my fence looks this time of year, partially covered with morning glories.

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