Rebel Dandelion

And today I had a moment of getting spellbound by a dandelion clock #naturesbeauty


Fluffy cloud of clockfaced perfection
Clustered amidst a tangle of brambles
And barbed wire. Spokes of time
Counted out in seed bearing spindles,
Two toned carriers of precarious
Yet potent parachuting potential
To spread a golden dandelion roar
Across another patch of scorched earth.
Weeds to gardeners, toys to children,
Glowing reminders of the tenacity of nature,
Growing in spirited, rootsy rebellion amidst
Threats and labels, litter and concrete,
Your illuminated aureole magnetises me
Into a magical contemplation of your
Beautiful face, stilling my solitary feet
And stirring that inexplicably soothing
Sense of nature's vast and wild embrace,
Where all things, tangled or fragile,
Have an unlabelled, unique place.

Rebel Dandelion, Katie Rose 29.04.20

Disinterested Ducks

Disinterested Ducks

Bird out on a limb
standing solo
centre stage
on the rubber outpost
in the lake -
gangly, diffident.
socially distant ducks
float by
completely
disinterested
in the show,
their circular motions
converging on the
the flitter flapper,
ducking diving,
splatter natter
of twilight washing.

And I wonder,
in these slower days,
do they catch a
glimpse of fresher
skies or notice the
decreased skating
of upside down trains
and planes
across the mirror
of their watery home

Do they regard
this spring,
voluminous with
fragrant blossom
and puffy leaves,
as the one when
the volume of their songs
finally got turned up
above the human melee

And will we come
to remember this spring
as the one where we painfully
disintegrated
but also returned,
our circles converging
on a quieter way
of spending our days
in the simple appreciation
of the wind wafting
through the crooked arms
and water trailing manes
of whispering willow trees
and the circular motions
of disinterested ducks
rippling across the water.

Katie Rose 18.04.20

Yellow Rose

Yellow Rose
A bud of golden hope
Just arrived at my door
Tightly coiled in the clasp
Of tiny twirling branches
Carrying the promise of
Bright spring days and
Ripening blossoms
In its furled beauty.

So these coiled days
Where we draw in,
Carry the promise of
Greater care and tenderness
When from bud we bloom
Carrying the love of those
We have lost on the branches
Of spring's golden song

These are truly extraordinary times - not least because of the outpouring of love and care which rises to sustain us amidst the grief and fear. Just wanted to say a huge THANKYOU to everyone who has sent me messages, pictures, jokes, flowers, donations, given me shout-outs, come to sing online or stopped for a socially distant chat. I really miss you all, Zoom Choirs make me mist up and my heart goes out to all frontline workers, those who are unwell, those grieving loved ones and those facing this crisis in poverty, war, violence and displacement. I hold hope that in the quiet time we are seeding potential for a huge hug fest and explosion of creativity that could help make our world a more loving, sustainable, fair, caring, beautiful place to be.

With thanks to Zuleika for the Rose