Wednesday of the 4th Week of Lent

Ah! Spring is springing. Let us remember that not only is Lent not meant to be a gloomy season but that in fact the word means “springtime,” and refers to the lengthening of light. Whether according to the liturgical or lunar calendar, this is a time of transition, transformation, budding forth, blossoming, ripening and rejoicing. Indeed, as Hopkins says, “what is all this juice and joy?” I greet you and this season of new life with two of my favorite poems about spring, the first by e.e. cummings and the second by Gerard Manley Hopkins.

Chansons Innocentes

in Just-
spring           when the world is mud-
luscious the little
lame balloonman

whistles      far        and wee

and eddieandbill come
running from marbles and
piracies and its
spring

when the world is puddle-wonderful

the queer
old balloonman whistles
far      and        wee
and bettyanddisbel come dancing

from hop-scotch and jump-rope and

its
spring
and
the

goat-footed

balloonMan         whistles
far
and
wee

Source: A Selection of Poems by e.e. cummings

Spring

Nothing is so beautiful as Spring –
When weeds, in wheels, shoot long and lovely and lush;
Thrush’s eggs look little low heavens, and thrush
Through the echoing timber does so rinse and wring
The ear, it strikes like lightnings to hear him sing;
The glassy peartree leaves and blooms, they brush
The descending blue; that blue is all in a rush
With richness; the racing lambs too have fair their fling.

What is all this juice and all this joy?
A strain of the earth’s sweet being in the beginning
In Eden garden. – Have, get, before it cloy,
Before it cloud, Christ, lord, and sour with sinning,
Innocent mind and Mayday in girl and boy,
Most, O maid’s child, thy choice and worthy the winning.

Source: Gerard Manley Hopkins: Poems and Prose

Mud-luscious and puddle wonderful blessings,
Dan