bittersweet spring,
winter has overstayed
cold silence
Copyright 2018 Brenda Davis Harsham
Notes: Inspired by True Love Blues from Nikki Grimes’ Hopscotch Love: A Family Treasury of Love Poems, Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books, 1999. Her wonderful book made me appreciate my family, as did having a true story about my grandmother published in Chicken Soup for the Soul’s anthology, My Amazing Mom: 101 Stories of Love and Appreciation, announced in yesterday’s post. I also crowed about a recent Honorable Mention in Vivian Kirkfield’s #50PreciousWords contest. So despite power outages, trees falling on my driveway and a feint by another nor’easter, I am sitting pretty.
Here is an excerpt of Nikki Grimes’ poem, True Love Blues
Love means putting others first —
That’s what love’s about…..
But the way you hog that apple pie
Proves you still ain’t figured that out.
Happy Poetry Friday and thanks to Laura Purdie Salas at Writing the World for Kids for hosting!
55 thoughts on “Bittersweet Blues”
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Friendly Fairy Tales 
Nothing like some good news to help push you past Winter’s finish line. Congratulations, Brenda! I’ll have to get my hands on a copy of that Nikki Grimes collection. I do love the excerpt you shared, and your “bittersweet spring” as well!
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Thanks, Michelle. Yes, good news always helps. 🙂
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Congratulations on all your good news this week! I love that excerpt from Grimes poems. I’ve shared dessert with a few like that pie lover! Stay warm and toasty through winter’s last gasp. We’re going back and forth between rain and snow today.
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Thanks, Kay. We’ve all met a few like that pie-lover. 🙂
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Love both your poem and Nikki’s. Wishing you a lovely spring that arrives soon!
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Thanks, Kimberly. Spring will come. She’s just a bit shy this year. 🙂
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The title of this post and the poem are perfect for this year. I’m ready for warm spring weather!
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Thanks! Me, too.
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Not at all surprised at the words successes….but so happy for you. Congratulating here with a mug of cocoa that your photo calls for. It’s sure nice to be able to be in your circle…to learn with you and from you and to celebrate the wins!
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I am incredibly happy to have found poetry friday. I love being part of a circle of people that love poetry as much as I do. I love celebrating all the wins, too. 🙂
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Congratulations on all your happy news! I agree; winter has overstayed this year! Our snow is melting fast, though. Hope yours is too!
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The crocuses will be trying to rise. I can’t wait to see them. 🙂
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Wow! This is indeed a lovely post!😍
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Thanks!
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I can identify so well with the speaker of this poem! And congrats on your inclusion in the Chicken Soup for the Soul book – a former crit group member of mine (and NE-SCBWI member) also has a story in it!
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Which one? I enjoyed the Twitter book launch. I had fun looking at the other people’s pictures and stories.
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So many congratulations to you, Brenda. You know that beautiful visual and poem on #winterinspring speaks to me. Would you like to offer this to my winter gallery for the ending section.
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Oops-missed placing the question mark at the end of my important question.
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I could do that, Carol. I’ll see if I can do it quickly now. It’s my son’s birthday tomorrow and we’re getting ready to make cupcakes. 🙂
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I’ll email it to you with #winterinspring in the subject line. And I’ll put it up on twitter if I can manage it fast enough. Cupcakes are calling. 🙂
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The poem is cool, the photo is fabulous, the success is what you deserve.
I have never met a nicer, or better, person on the interweblogospherethingy.
And your talent is unarguable.
And that is true, even if you don’t tell your friends about this!
https://cavalairesurmer.wordpress.com/2018/03/23/we-do-the-marathon/
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You are too kind. Thanks for all this ego-boosting loveliness. I admire your form as you marathon, in your car. Lovely photos in your post.
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That’s lovely, Brenda! Both poem and photo. Bittersweet is great in that first line…who could stop reading?
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Thanks, Laura. 🙂
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Awesome photo and poem, Brenda. And Congrats on all your good news!! Luckily our snow is mostly melted — but what a strange way to begin Spring.
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We can depend on spring in May, but March is two-faced. 🙂
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Happy to hear about your accolades, Brenda! We still have snow in our yard, but probably not for long. Have a wonderful weekend!
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Thanks, Tabatha.
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Sorry about the tree and that terrible weather you’ve been having, but love the attitude. Love is what keeps us living, and maybe sharing some pie! Thanks, Brenda!
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Sharing pie is a good day, even if a tree does come down. 🙂
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yes, beautiful, but way past time for winter to go home until later this year. no hogging all the seasonal pie!
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Yes, and no more Nor-Easters. 🙂
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Indeed you ARE sitting pretty! Yay for your recent recognitions… it can be just the shot in the arm to keep us going, can’t it? And this: Winter WILL fall away eventually… xo
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Thanks, Irene. It is a help to have something to celebrate. 🙂
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Reblogged this on By the Mighty Mumford and commented:
LOOKS LIKE OUR PLACE DID, LAST WEEK!
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Yep, the photo was from last week. The weather forecasters faked me out. Completely!
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Failed you???? I lost a perfectly good work night! 🙂
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I have very disappointed children who were counting on a snowday. 🙂
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awwwww-!
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🙂 They will survive.
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YEAH…so did I!
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Wow! So much to celebrate! Congratulations on your many recent successes, including dodging the last storm.
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Yes! No shoveling! All kinds of cancellations for nada. One quick melting snowflake that Republicans called the last liberal snowflake. 😉 And thanks for the celebration. Still in a party mood here.
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Winter is unusually late this year. Fantastic poem!
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Maybe winter’s ready to hang up its hat. I can hope. 🙂
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It is time to say good-bye, Winter, and let Spring be the queen of the season!!! Thanks, Brenda! Your poem says it all.
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I will be happy to finally see the crocuses. 🙂
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I’m going to go for a Poetry Friday too! Keep rhyming and chiming!
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Yay! More poetry to the people! 🙂
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You always make me smile. Really.
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Likewise. 🙂
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What a joy filled post Brenda! Congratulations on your story published in “Chicken Soup for the Soul,” and your honorable mention on Vivian Kirkfield’s blog. Lovely “bittersweet” haiku- hope your weather improves soon!
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I wrote this a few days ago, with a photo from the last storm. Then ironically, the storm gave me a cold shoulder. We got a quarter inch. Laughing!
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Love how effortless you get and words that struck in a sensual and sensitive manner portraying various shades.
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Thanks, Vishal. I very much appreciate the feedback I get on my blog. Have a wonderful weekend ahead.
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