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 – a sort of wish they were here.
D - Daffodils, Daisy, Dandelion,
Dove, Dunnock
There is only one way to start
this post; with William Wordsworth, of course,
I wandered lonely as
a cloud
That floats on high
o’er vales and hill,
When all at once I
saw a crowd,
A host, of golden
daffodils;
 |
| Daffodils |
Wordsworth spent of lot of time
in the Lake District which enabled him too
write:
In youth from rock to rock I went,
From hill to hill in discontent
Of pleasure high and turbulent,
Most pleased when most uneasy;
But now my own delights I make, -
My thirst at every rill can slake,
and gladly Nature's love partake
of Thee, sweet Daisy!
 |
| Daisies |
Somehow I think these were not the type of daisy meant by Wordsworth.
Daisies in the lawn are not to be encouraged nor is the dandelion is a plant we want to see:
 |
| A Patch of Dandelions |
With locks of gold
today;
Tomorrow, silver
grey;
.jpg) |
| Dandelion Seed Head |
Then blossom-bald.
Behold,
O man, they fortune
told!
The hedge sparrow (dunnock) is a common garden bird that enthrals you with its song:
 |
| Dunnock |
A dunnock perched
content on outhouse beams,
Plump-feathered in striped brown and misty grey,
That I disturbed from drowsy dunnock dreams
To startled flight. Away! Escape! Away!
Plump-feathered in striped brown and misty grey,
That I disturbed from drowsy dunnock dreams
To startled flight. Away! Escape! Away!
If we are to escape let’s have
some fun before we go:
Let's take off all
our clothes. It's time for shamelessness.
On nights of self-reflection, we go skinny-dipping with our self-perception.
We join the stars dancing on the water
and we emerge, red-skinned not red-faced. A collared dove coo-coo-coos
On nights of self-reflection, we go skinny-dipping with our self-perception.
We join the stars dancing on the water
and we emerge, red-skinned not red-faced. A collared dove coo-coo-coos
 |
| Collared Dove |
At one time the collard dove was
a very common visitor to our garden; now it has been crowded out by the
ubiquitous wood pigeon.
A late candidate for inclusion in
this post is:
 |
| A Dog in Disgrace |
Poems
- I wandered lonely as a cloud – Wordsworth
- To the Daisy - Wordsworth
- The Dandelion – John B Tabb
- Dunnock – Alan Hartley
- The Collared Dove – Alexander Hawkins
Photo attributions:
- Patch of Dandelions – By Robert Engelhart – CC BY-SA 3.0
- Dandelion Seed Head – By Tony Hisgett, Birmingham, UK – CC BY-SA 2.0
- Dunnock – by Dr Raju Kasambe – CC BY-SA 3.0
- Collared Dove – Adrian Pingstone – Public domain
