For dverse. The ‘young and green’ prompt for me led straight to Cleopatra. Here’s a golden shovel quoting from Act One, Scene Five.
The serpent speaks
This piece of my
world, shooting now, summer salad-
fresh these lengthening days,
changed its stark face when
frost no longer crisped the grass. I
count rosetted orchids, where once was
cold-seared brown, now green,
a thrusting, budding bed in
place of still-as-death. Spring’s judgement
on the fading winter cold—
banishment, until the year turns in
its course and cools our hot green blood.
The Four Swans 
A colourful poem, Jane. I love the phrases ‘summer salad-fresh’ and ‘hot green blood’, and the contrast in ‘a thrusting, budding bed in place of still-as-death’.
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Thanks Kim. I hope Cleopatra would have approved 🙂
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You’re a master of the golden shovel, Jane. Those opening lines just grab and hold on, setting the tone beautifully. I loved “when
frost no longer crisped the grass” —
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Thank you! I wasn’t sure that this was going to work, but it seems to have done 🙂
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Oh.. love the shovel. and I also love the way you describe those days that will come one day even to our distant north.
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Thank you!
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I like the idea of Spring being Winter’s judge.
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Thank you!
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Your golden shovel shines GREEN, I love it.
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Thank you, Helen 🙂
I’ve found a lot of your comments in spam. I’m trying to track them all down, but I might miss one.
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I really like the strident tone. Send the winter packing, I say. (K)
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It’s been a mild one, but it’s time to go.
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changes, changes, changes.
“summer salad-
fresh” to “year turns in
its course and cools our hot green blood.”
very interesting!!!
much♡love
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Thank you, Gillena!
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You took a great line and turned it into a poem of all seasons. A wonderful write, Jane.
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Thank you, Punam xx
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