Among globules of hail a single purple
flower stands resilient to the chill:
a grape hyacinth shivering among
drooping daffodils. They bloomed too soon,
their yellow hurrahs loud and blatant,
nodding and dancing in March winds.
When the sun arrived, stirring our winter-
frozen hearts, we peeled off a few layers,
exposed skin like petals unfurling,
only to feel the cold brush of winter,
a brief reminder that, resilient as we may be,
we never know what’s around the corner.
Kim M. Russell, 31st March 2026
This Tuesday at the dVerse Poets Pub, Grace is hosting Poetics with a paradox: false spring, a season that arrives before its time.
She says that poets have long been drawn to this fragile moment between seasons, mentioning William Wordsworth’s poem ‘Lines Written in Early Spring’ and contemporary poet Airea D. Matthews’ ‘Elemental’.
Grace also writes about false spring being not only meteorological, with false springs happening in our lives; for example relationships that bloom too soon; promises that warm us before they are broken; moments of relief before hardship returns; fragile recoveries and glimpses of transformation that has not yet fully arrived. And false spring teaches resilience.
We are writing poems that explore false spring, literally, metaphorically, or both.
writing in north norfolk 
Kim, I can feel this in my skin: exposed skin like petals unfurling,only to feel the cold brush of winter,
Our weather here is just as erratic. Thanks for the reminder, that we never know what’s around the corner.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Grace. And like magic, on 1st April, the temperature is set to rise a little.
LikeLike
the globules of hail mirror the grapes of they hyacinth too – yes its been a recalcitrant spring so far and this verse perfectly captures the daffs:
“their yellow hurrahs loud and blatant,
nodding and dancing in March winds.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Laura. It’s been a funny old year so far.
LikeLike
the last stanza stsys with me
much love
LikeLike