The Enkindled Spring

The Enkindled Spring

D.H. Lawrence (1916)

This spring as it comes bursts up in bonfires green,

Wild puffing of emerald trees, and flame-filled bushes,

Thorn-blossom lifting in wreaths of smoke between

Where the wood fumes up and the watery, flickering rushes.

I am amazed at this spring, this conflagration

Of green fires lit on the soil of the earth, this blaze

Of growing, and sparks that puff in wild gyration,

Faces of people streaming across my gaze.

And I, what fountain of fire am I among

This leaping combustion of spring? My spirit is tossed

About like a shadow buffeted in the throng

Of flames, a shadow that's gone astray, and is lost.

After what seems like an eternity of winter, the biting chill in the air is dissipating to give way to temperatures that are altogether more suitable and, if the sun is not always forthcoming with its rays, it is making more of a regular appearance to greet us. Yes, spring is finally in bloom. And I, for one, am very pleased to welcome in the new season.

Don't get me wrong – winter does have its delights, and it will be rather sad to bid farewell to cosy nights curled up with my cat under a warm blanket. Yet, spring is one of my favorite season, for a great number of reasons. As with so much in life, I enjoy it for the very small, simple but hugely satisfying pleasures it brings. Smelling the fresh, unmistakeably first-days-of-spring-like scent in the air; seeing the new green and blossom on the trees; not having to bundle yourself up in layer after layer; choosing to take the slightly longer route while going home to really enjoy the beautiful blooming flowers of early spring. All little things but things that make an overwhelming amount of difference to a day. Even the sound and feel of the word that represents the season brings to mind images full of brightness, action and motivation – we're all somewhat coiled tight, hibernating against the harshness of winter and as spring arrives we're released, bouncing free and getting a new lease of life.

This week's featured poem by D.H. Lawrence also brings forth absolutely wonderful images of the season; the whole of the first stanza, with its 'bursts up of bonfires green/wild puffing of emerald trees, and flame-filled bushes' conjures up delicious treats for both the eyes and ears. The ongoing motif of fire is interesting, relating not only to the comparable heat of spring compared to the season just departed but also to its energy that comes on quietly yet quickly consumes and astounds.