With St. Patrick's Day a mere three sleeps away, what better time to visit Limerick Alley? I may not be Irish, but I do feel lucky to have Buffy Silverman here to share today's little ditty!
Much of Buffy's writing is inspired by her curiosity and intimate observations of nature. From an early age, Buffy could be found watching the world from her maple tree perch or combing tall grass for grasshoppers and other critters. Not only did she collect worms and insects for the sheer joy of discovering their secrets, but she also adopted the same practice with words. Buffy's current "word collection" includes over 60 children's books and over 100 magazine articles, mostly telling non-fiction stories of the natural world outside her window. Although she does not post every week, Buffy's Blog, is also a treasure.
Buffy won't be donning her leprechaun top hat and booties today, but she will be wearing her evergreen and diamonds:
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| Photo: Liz West |
An ice storm embraced Mr. Pine Tree
But the hug was so hard
he was strewn on the yard
and now Mr. Pine Tree is tiny.
© 2014 Buffy Silverman. All rights reserved.
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| Sad pine trees in Old Man Winter's grip, courtesy of The Little GSP |
Thank you, Buffy, for your (somewhat more gentle) poetic embrace here at Limerick Alley!
Now grab a cup of Irish breakfast tea and a slice of Irish soda bread, and head over to the Poetry Friday roundup, hosted today by Kara at Rogue Anthropologist.
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| Earl Bales Park following an ice storm in Toronto December 23, 2013. (REUTERS/Gary Hershorn) |
If you would like to be featured in a future Limerick Alley post, please contact me at Michelle (at) MichelleHBarnes (dot) com, or let me know by commenting below.
Wow...great pics and fun twist-of-fate limerick! Thanks, Michelle and Buffy, for sharing! We just got another snowstorm here, so the pine trees and terribly droopy. Looking for spring perking everything (and everyone) up very soon.
ReplyDeletePoor Mr. Pine Tree! Thanks for this post, Michelle and Buffy... you make me want to write a limerick -- and take some photos. :)
ReplyDeleteI'll be contacting you about that limerick, Irene!
DeleteI feel sorry for the pine tree, too, though it is lovely to see the branches encased in ice.
ReplyDeleteAh, poor Mr. Pine Tree! Wonderful limerick -- beauty and destruction in one fell swoop. Lovely photos :).
ReplyDeleteThanks for inviting me to your blog, Michelle, and for the dazzling photos to illustrate my limerick.
ReplyDeleteThe pleasure is all mine, Buffy!
DeleteBuffy, you are so clever, fun rhyming in this limerick, & I know that all of us are sad about the ice-encased trees everywhere. Perhaps this is the last storm? Thanks Michelle for showing Buffy's poem in those pictures!
ReplyDeleteHey Michelle,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing Buffy's poem. Buffy has a great poem in THE POETRY FRIDAY ANTHOLOGY FOR SCIENCE, too.
Yes, I know! She's a very talented lady, that one.
DeleteOh, poor Mr. Pine Tree. I love your use of the word hard to describe the ice's hug.
ReplyDeleteAw, sad pine tree. This is charming, Buffy, despite that nasty hug! Here's hoping for a spring thaw very soon. Thanks for featuring Buffy today, Michelle!
ReplyDeleteWhat happens to Mr. Pine Tree next? Just wondering if he managed to make a comeback in spring...
ReplyDeleteYour photos are really something, especially that last one!
Love it! :)
ReplyDeleteWhat fun! What a disastrous hug!
ReplyDeleteI never thought of being encased in ice as an "embrace," but it works in Buffy's limerick. And although ice storms are so destructive, the photos you've shared are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the nice comments--I appreciate it!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing Buffy's fabulous poem, Michelle. Winter's "hugs" have been harsh this year as these pictures illustrate. Hope Mr. Pine Tree bounces back. = )
ReplyDeleteFrom Bookseedstudio
ReplyDeleteThis Mr. Pine Tree ditty made me smile.
And, it inspired me as I'm sending out my favorite summer ocean chams to some folks - the not at all perfect, diminished, sea shells. They are shards with gaps & slashes & always a hole so I can hang them on twine or ribbon. So here is what Buffy Silverman's wicked ice storm, which is like an ocean storm, inspired:
My sandbar captured a shell
so in the rough surf it dwelled.
The waves pounded hard
now the shell is a shard
But O shell, you dangle so well.
c. 2014 Jan Godown Annino
Thank you Michelle & Buffy, with ocean charms on top for this neat post.
Jan/Bookseedstudio
(not sure why I can't get anonymous out of the posting...)
Terrific, Jan! Especially love that last line. :) So glad you were inspired to write AND share your limerick!
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