April 1, 2012

A Prayer in Spring

By Joe
A Prayer in Spring 
by Robert Frost
Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers to-day;
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year.
Oh, give us pleasure in the orchard white,
Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;
And make us happy in the happy bees,
The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.
And make us happy in the darting bird
That suddenly above the bees is heard,
The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill,
And off a blossom in mid air stands still.
For this is love and nothing else is love,
The which it is reserved for God above
To sanctify to what far ends He will,
But which it only needs that we fulfil.
The Tulip Magnolia Tree, as seen in the picture above, is a marvelous tree planted for its ornamental value and is one of my favorite things to see in the spring. Its scientific name is Magnolia Soulangiana. There are several varieties, but they are all very spectacular and similar in growing characteristics. This tree is deciduous, meaning that it loses its leaves and hibernates during the winter, with new buds of leaves and flowers forming each spring.  I love driving by a house with one of these trees in full bloom.  For me, they are always breathtaking.

About Joe

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I began my life in the South and for five years lived as a closeted teacher, but am now making a new life for myself as an oral historian in New England. I think my life will work out the way it was always meant to be. That doesn't mean there won't be ups and downs; that's all part of life. It means I just have to be patient. I feel like October 7, 2015 is my new birthday. It's a beginning filled with great hope. It's a second chance to live my life…not anyone else's. My profile picture is "David and Me," 2001 painting by artist Steve Walker. It happens to be one of my favorite modern gay art pieces. View all posts by Joe
This entry was posted on Sunday, April 1st, 2012 at 7:00 am and posted in Poetry. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

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