Earlier this spring, while on a morning walk, I happened upon a most memorable front yard. The landscaping consisted of three beautifully simple ingredients: a blanket of lush, overgrown grass, a scattering of candy-coloured tulips, and a kitschy plastic swan placed proudly in the centre, but mostly obscured by the surrounding vegetation.
I’ve since named her Tulip and she’s inspired me to write the following poem, as well as collage a new piece of art.
There is a swan / who lives in a lawn / of towering tulips and sod.
Her neck, stiff and starched / and pleasantly arched / dips into a neighbourly nod.
“Hello”, I did say / and, “How is your day?” / while admiring her palace of green.
I kid you not / I most certainly thought / I heard her say, “Oh, peachy-keen.”
Can you spot the swan?
(I biked by this same yard recently, and as suspected, the tulips have since run their course. What a pleasant surprise to see a cascade of daisies had taken their place!)
