My A-Z posts this year
are based on my garden – flowers, animals, the birds and the bees, butterflies
- with a bit of poetry thrown in. For some letters I am expecting to cheat
somewhat – wishing they were here.
R – Rose, Rhododendron, Robin, Rabbit, Retriever
For a rose we can only begin with Burns:
My love is like a
red, red rose
That’s newly sprung
in June
An older verse applies to roses too as not all are as red as
those.
Thou blushing rise,
within whose virgin leaves
The wanton wind to
sport himself presumes.
Over the years we have been
nurturing a rhododendron bush that didn’t thrive in the soil in the front
garden border. It has gone from border to tub, to ericaceous tub to back garden
border where it now flowers happily.
Rhododendron |
Three girls,
engrossed, were wrenching full clusters
Of cerise and pink
from the rhododendron,
Mountaining them on
spread newspaper.
They brassily picked,
slowed by no chagrin,
I’m pleased to be able to show a
photo of one of my favourite birds which I’m sure you will have all seen on
Christmas cards.
Robin |
No noise is here. Or
none that hinders thought.
The redbreast warbles
still, but is content
With slender notes,
and more than half suppressed;
Pleased with his
solitude, and flitting light
From spray to spray,
where’er he rests he shakes
From many a twig the
pendant drops of ice,
That tinkle in the
withered leaves below.
Cute but less welcomed is this fellow about to attack the
plants.
Rabbit |
Now if today had been Friday then perhaps I’d get up early and
sing along:
The song was written for Noel Gay's
show 'The Little Dog Laughed' which opened on 11 October 1939, at a time when
most of the major London
theatres were closed.
The farmer with a gun would have
needed a Retriever to fetch the rabbit. I know one that could do the job.
Cody |
Incidentally Cody was 15 years old on Easter Sunday; he’s no
April fool.
Poems:
- A Red, Red Rose – Robert Burns
- The Rose – Sir Richard Fanshawe
- From the Fable of the Rhododendron Stealers – Sylvia Plath http://allpoetry.com/poem/8498035-Fable_Of_The_Rhododendron_Stealers-by-Sylvia_Plath
- Robin – from The Task; William Cowper
- Youtube: Flanagan and Allan – Run Rabbit Run
8 comments:
One wonders what chance we have of roses in June this year, Bob, with all the cold weather. Beautiful sunshine today though. Maybe things will catch up. A cheering lot of photos.
You reckon Cody could still catch a rabbit? Your roses are lovely Bob, I do love to see them in gardens but not so much in bouquets. Glad you got your rhododendrum to flower, they cover the Blue Ridge mountains in NC.
JO ON FOOD, MY TRAVELS AND A SCENT OF CHOCOLATE
Fun!
I love to see the Robins in the snow...
wearinglemon.blogsot.com
Jo - Cody is deaf a has poor eyesight now; all he is interested in chasing is a tennis ball.
I look in on your son-in-law's website. I was very impressed and will go back to take a longer look.
Hi Bob .. great Rs .. and I love the Robin - he/she is bright bright red .. real scarlet red-breast .. love it ..
Cheers Hilary
I love Cody's face. What a sweetie: happy birthday!
Hi. Enjoyed the very familiar poetry and the lovely pics. You could add "Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, for time she is a flying." Best regards to you. Ruby.
What a lovely post with so many neat photos too.
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