Springing

They are springing up
everywhere I look:

waxy little snowdrops
bobbing
in small clumps or
carpeting
between trees.

They’re among
the hellebores and crocuses,
flirting with fritillaries,
and sucking up
to cyclamen—

a spring ball of dancing flowers
soaking up spring sun and showers.

Kim M. Russell, 9th February 2026

For the first dVerse Poets Pub Quadrille of February, De asks us to write poems of precisely 44 words, including the word ‘flower’.

She has given us a wide range of quotations and examples of poems for inspiration. She says we can write about “wildflowers, cornflower blue, your flowerchild days or the gorgeous redheaded girl at the flowershop around the corner…use flowery language or keep it simple. Use the word any bloomin’ way you choose – take those flowers and plant ’em, pick ’em, deliver ’em or share ’em – just be sure to get some form of the word into your poem of exactly 44 words”.

53 thoughts on “Springing”

  1. Love all the pics and everything about this write, Kim. Most especially these lines:”They’re amongthe hellebores and crocuses,flirting with fritillaries,and sucking upto cyclamen—”These lines made me smile in terms of the “flirting with firtillaries” and the “sucking up”!We’ve been in San Diego since January 8th…here till March 19 so have been enjoying the sun, weather in the 70s, and all the green trees, flowers and flowering cacti!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  5. Was just listening to a Chinese podcast about Chinese painting, how the use of blank space makes the paintings….was fascinating…your blank spaces separating the stanzas made the impact of your verse.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. We haven’t had much snow in our part of the UK but the weatherman said there will be some on its way at the end of this week. I think it might be the tail end of what has been blanketing the U.S.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  14. So beautiful to see the snowdrops springing up. Reminds me of my childhood in Victoria, it was cooler and we had snowdrops, I loved them. I have tried to grow them here in Queensland but it is too tropical I think. Lovely poem, Kim.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  16. “flirting with fritillaries,” made me smile, and I love the thought of “a spring ball of dancing flowers.” I think we still have too much snow for anything to come up here, but I think maybe a lot of it will melt by next week, and then. . .maybe . . .

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

Leave a reply to purplepeninportland Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.