Wednesday 18 April 2012

P is for Primrose

P is for Primrose
Going to the woods on a cold spring day
Pushing brambles out of the way
Following my Nan as she forges ahead
To the best spot in the wood
As we pick the long stems of the primroses
The delicate smell of spring in our noses
Pick the green leaves but leave the roots
Wriggling my feet in my black welly boots

The call of the birds and rustling in the undergrowth
Of tiny woodlouse and shy animals scurrying about
The sun breaking through the trees
My nine year old mind looking for fairies

Placing the flowers carefully in the basket
Retracing our steps through a green glade carpet
Returning home and assembling posies of flowers
Three large green leaves or four if smaller
Blue strands of wool threaded around the long stalks
Carefully placed in boxes of wadded moist paper
Working quietly in unison with my grandma

Who then takes the boxes on the bus to the train station
As they wend their way to London's Convent garden
The wages came in handy for hard working country people
Providing a few favourite treats instead of being frugal
The discards and rejects are placed in vases
To adorn our homes and mantel places.

6 comments:

  1. Beautifully written. So brought it home to me going and doing the same with my Mum and her sister

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  2. reminded me of going through the woods and picking yellow violets, which were my mother's favorites. the green, the soft carpet, the singing of birds and the pieces of sunlight through the trees. I lived in the forest as a child. But I never considered fairies..
    stopping by from A to Z

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  3. A whole story of a lifestyle there. I'm trying to visit all the A-Z Challenge Blogs this month. My alphabet is at myqualityday.blogspot.com

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  4. Hello Sally,

    I enjoyed your p post and had to add it to my A.D.'s FAV 5 of the A to Z Challenge today! http://adduling.wordpress.com/

    Have a wonderful day!
    A.D.

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  5. Such a pretty poem and story. Love it.

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  6. Fellow challenger visiting. Very cute poem and I love the pics you chose to go along with it. Best of luck to you on the rest on the challenge.

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