It's Spring, you know, though I'm afraid many of you are eyeing snow that has perhaps worn out its welcome this year. So I brought you some azaleas.
Last week I made a found poem celebrating spring from an antique magazine passage about a different kind of spring. In an inspired moment, I asked if anyone else would like to give it a go - with that passage, or another one from the fashion section.
Some of you brave souls answered the call!
I'll re-post both passages here again, so you won't have to click hither and yon and back.
The first describes a "submarine spring" in CASSELL’S FAMILY MAGAZINE, Illustrated, Cassell and Company, Limited – London, Paris & Melbourne, featuring all the monthly issues from 1890. It's an article from a section called, “THE GATHERER: AN ILLUSTRATED RECORD OF INVENTION, DISCOVERY, LITERATURE, AND SCIENCE.”
It explains:
A submarine spring forms the water supply of the
inhabitants of Bahrein Island, in the Gulf of Persia.
The climate is very hot, no rain falls, and the people
draw their fresh water from the sea-bottom by
means of divers, who fill it into goatskins. Owing to
the force of the spring, the diver uses a drag weight
to keep him down, and after having filled the skin,
he slips the drag and is floated to the surface.
And look what some of you folks came up with!
Spring
floats
©Brenda Davis Harsham. All rights reserved.
Thanks, Brenda! That one makes my haiku look wordy. (Find a few more words from Brenda here).
Next up, Kay Jernigan McGriff!
water supply forms
inhabitants of hot climate
no rain falls
©Kay Jernigan McGriff
Thanks, Kay - your poem makes me worry about those folks!
Michelle Kogan came up with something entirely different:
spring Island goats
draw from fresh
rainwater.
©Michelle Kogan. All rights reserved.
Thank you, Michelle. I'm certainly happy those goats found something to drink. I love goats!
Linda Mitchell (who has a found poem post today!) and and Matt Forrest Esenwine took the fashion bait and found a poem in the feature, WHAT TO WEAR IN APRIL. First, here's the article excerpt:
The long cloak savors of spring; it opens at the
neck and trims with close feather bands, instead
of fur. It is composed of ribbed silk and embroidered
velvet, the velvet is cut as a Bolero jacket, elongated
into panel sides over which fall the long pointed
sleeves, embroidered on the outside of the arm, and
edged like the jacket with ball fringe in character
with the hat. It is a mantle that completely covers
the dress. The muff matches the hat, and I notice
women are wearing them well on to summer, partially
because they are so infinitesimal. The floral muffs
are often carried by bridesmaids; they are made of
satin and covered with flowers so that little but of
the foundation is seen. They let the odour of the
flower be easily enjoyed by the holder, and are more
to be desired than bouquets because they have a
raison d’être.
From Linda:
Feather bands
Compose a
Bolero Ball
©Linda Mitchell. All rights reserved.
Oh - I want to go to the Bolero Ball, don't you? Thank you, Linda!
And appreciations, Matt, for offering these lovely images and little story in yours:
Spring opens,
edged with character;
summer bridesmaids' flowers,
little bouquets'
raison d’être.
©Matt Forrest Esenwine. All rights reserved.
Isn't it delightful to see the variety that can be mined from the same passages? Many thanks again to these poets for playing along! I'll catch up on Poetry Friday later; today I'm leading a found poem/mixed media workshop downtown. It'll be a full room, and I can't wait to see what folks conjure up!
But you go on over and start enjoying the Roundup at Writing the World for Kids, where the amazing Laura is gathering all the goodness this week.