The day had gone from rain
back to bright and dry again,
and so we ventured out.
So many hues among the green
of fresh new buds and leafy sheen,
it made me want to shout
out loud, when suddenly the first
butterfly seemed to burst
out of a leafy cloud,
not primrose or even daffodil,
but the colour of an accidental spill
from Vincent’s palette.
A flash of wings so bright
it seemed that yellow had taken flight.
Kim M. Russell, 11th April 2023
Image by Erik Karits on Unsplash
It’s Tuesday, it’s Poetics at the dVerse Poets Pub, and Sarah is colouring us yellow. Spring is here, springing up in gardens and hedgerows, and I can confirm that we too have grass sprinkled with dandelions – definitely bright –and I have seen celandines and primroses in our village.
Sarah also reminds us that it’s almost autumn in the southern hemisphere, which has a different kind of yellow – as Donovan sang, ‘mellow yellow’.
We are exploring the world of yellowness with some inspiration from Werner’s Nomenclature of Colours, as well as the writing of Amy Lowell and Matthew Sweeney. Sarah says that we can write about the colour itself, or just sneak something yellow into our poems, such as a yellow bucket, a daffodil, an autumn leaf floating in a puddle. My ‘sonnet’ was inspired by a yellow butterfly I saw on my walk on Sunday.
writing in north norfolk 
Oh lovely – your enjambment is delightful – and that ending is fantastic. According to the Moomins, if the first butterfly of the year is yellow, you’re going to have a happy summer.
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That’s just what Bjorn said! I love yellow butterflies, so delicate and sunny.
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Either Bjorn is a moomin or it’s a Scandinavian thing…
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What an amazing color this is: but the colour of an accidental spill
from Vincent’s palette. Love seeing the new buds of the spring season.
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Thank you Grace. I’m enjoying this spring, even though I haven’t been out much so far this week.
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“not primrose or even daffodil, but the colour of an accidental spill from Vincent’s palette,” … sigh 🥰 a most exquisite response to the prompt, Kim!! ❤️❤️
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Thank you dear Sanaa!
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Beautiful piece! I’ve been reading through a lot of poems this evening, and this has to be among the ones I enjoyed most 🙂
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Thank you so much!
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Oh, I actually saw the first butterfly during easter, and of course, it was yellow…
It is said that if the first butterfly you see is yellow the summer will be good.
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I’d not heard of that before, Björn. Now I’m looking to a good summer.
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Oh my…..we so often are on similar wave lengths – makes me smile. I meet Vincent in my poem as well 🙂
Loving these signs of spring….and I do love butterflies! Almost as much as lightning bugs….but butterflies certainly win the prize between the two for beauty!
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Thank you, Lill! I commented on our great minds thinking alike!
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What a lovely write, Kim! A true delight.
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Thank you Punam!
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My pleasure.
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Nature performs magic before our eyes. Loving how you make yellow take flight here.
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Thanks so much, Lisa!
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You’re welcome.
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Loved it all, Kim, & I’m glad you brought Vincent in. Your closing couplet is WHAMMO good.
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Thank you Ron. I always love to read your comments.
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The brimstones are beauties. I always hope to see a brimstone first (because Moominmamma). This year we’ve had butterflies non-stop. Even in January so I can’t say which was first. That spill from a painter’s palette is inspired!
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Thank you Jane. The brimstones are my favourites, I think, together with those lovely blue ones.
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I like them too. They have a particular way of floating along, like yellow leaves.
The blue are pretty. I never know which ones are which. There are tiny ones and some a bit bigger. All lovely.
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Very nicely done. The butterflies of yellow are gorgeous. We have the yellow Swallowtail and a small lemon yellow butterfly that I do not know the name of .
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Thank you Dwight. I like the single colour butterflies, the yellow and the blue,
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You are welcome. Yes, they are gorgeous.
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Vincent knew about the power of yellow. (K)
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He certainly did, Kerfe.
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I enjoyed the rhythm and rhyme.
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Thank you Maria.
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Love those fluttering flickers of “spilled” spring light. An impeccable ardor here. The ending couplet is perfect.
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Thanks Brendan!
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Luv that flash of yellow from Vincent’s pallette.
Thanks for dropping by my blog
Much💛love
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Thank you Gillena! Much love to you,
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This is so beautiful, Kim! Exactly what spring is like–and I love the accidental spill. Beautifully crafted–and the ending is perfect! 💛
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Thank you Merril!
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You’re welcome, Kim!
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This was quite emotional for me … my Mother inhabits every yellow butterfly I see. I always greet her with a cheery sing-song ”Hello Mama, I mess you” and go along my merry way.
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I’m like that with Robins.
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Funny enough, yellow seems able to hold out on its own . There is something in its being attractive. Love your take Kim!
Hank
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Cheers Hank!
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I love your British brimstone butterfly! Our first ones are often blue, but the Sulphurs and the great gorgeous Tiger Swallowtails are never far behind.
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Thank you Priscilla. I’m waiting to see some blues.
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