Past, Present, and Pondering
Love as deep as the ocean
Unfathomable
Love as vast as the sky
Immeasurable
Love as abundant as air
Incalculable
Love as infinite as the sands of the earth
Unbelievable
Love as wide as the world
Incomprehensible
Perfect, plentiful, unconditional
Jesus loves me this I know
For all creation tells me so
©Belindabotzong2018
Bright pink and purple ruffles
Adorn
A touch of blue and a splash of yellow
Accent
Deep greens and vibrant reds
Accentuate
A beautiful garden
Appreciate
©Belindabotzong2018
Famed artist makes a local visit
Splashing vivid tones across the landscape
A dizzying array
A wild frenzy
A fantastic display
Gradients and bold, bright hues
Shades of pink and yellow, orange and blue
Matching and contrasting
Grass, trees and sky
Filling my garden and pleasing my eye
That glorious creator of color
Blossoms and blooms
Frantically bless our senses
Delightful and delicious to behold
His creative hand and eye at work
In His studio called Spring!
©Belindabotzong2018
Blossoms and buds
Awaken
Brilliant red rhodie
Perfect pink peony
Bright blue rock seed
Orange and yellow with purple splashes fill out spring’s palette
Trills and tweets
Twitters and sweet whistles
Carrying tunes of joyful birds on wafts of morning breezes
As they gather pieces of nesting treasures
Coolness ahead of summer-like days
Saltwater fragrances fill the sky covered in a thick marine layer
Awaiting the big reveal of sunshine blue skies
©Belindabotzong2018
In a shadow
Sun set stretches her thin along a path
In a pond
Ripples reflect the skewed expression
In a mirror
Reveal the flaws hidden in her skin, her hair
In a window
Reality distorted peering back
In his eyes
Perfection
©Belindabotzong2018
Finch plays her piccolo
Flicker on percussion
Robins join in soprano trills
Hummingbird with her metronome
Bees buzz in perfect harmony
Sparrows round out the symphony in melodious notes
Tones and tunes in perfect pitch
Notes and measures played on queue
All in praise of their maestro, conductor, creator
The music of spring returns
Pulling on heartstrings
©Belindabotzong2018
Pondering
She sits on a bench by the edge of the bay
–
Deep thoughts
Fill her mind with questions
–
Mulling things over
She is unsettled as to what answers might come
–
Contemplating
The path and perspective unknown
–
Considering
The ups and downs, twists and turns
–
Meditating
She quiets her mind and opens her heart
–
Reflecting
Acceptance and peace enter in waves
–
Praying
In gratitude and praise to the God who knows all
–
©Belindabotzong2018
Multi layered,
Multi faceted
Unseen layers
Private thoughts
Personal goals
Hopes and dreams
—
Hidden layers
Hurt and loss
Grief and memories
Love and hate and passions subdued
—
Intricate layers
Ideas and inspirations
Fears and triumphs
Aspirations and ideals
—
Outer layer
Designed and scarred
Unique and beautiful
Ingrained with the fingerprint of God the creator
Infusion of experiences and life
Inner strength and grace
Outer beauty, calm and peaceful
Protecting the inner layers like an armor
Allowing beauty and love and compassion to flow out 
Storybook cream puff clouds
Playfully glide across the blue ribbon bay
Bouncing off one another
Playing hide and seek between the bulges of the islands
Fishing trawler motors slowly into the harbor
Engine grumbling toward the dock
Tangled nets and a multitude of lines
Attracting hungry seagulls with the promise of the remains of a fresh catch
Swooping and soaring they chuckle and chortle their anxious greetings
Another glorious day at the bay
©Belindabotzong2018
First up
Early bloomer
A real show stopper
Last snowfall graces her pretty purple petals
Her name is Crocus
Hope of winter’s passing
–
Next up we have
Tall and graceful with ruffled lace adorning her yellow head
She sways in chilly breezes
Often drenched in rain
Bright sunny disposition never diminished
Her name is daffodil
Delight of spring
–
For our next contestant
Highly regarded and coveted around the world
Simplicity at its finest
Dressed in jeweled hues
She really knows how to draw a crowd
Her name is tulip
Promise of glorious days
–
Coming up next we have a regal beauty
Timeless and treasured
Her delicate blossoms gather in heavy bunches
Dressed in various hues of white, pink, and purple accented with jade accessories
She knows how to attract an audience
Her name is rhododendron
Promise of summer days ahead
–
And for our final contestant
A blushing beauty
Most delicate and desirable
Her fragrance and beauty melts the heart of everyone
Her wardrobe is vastly varied and imaginative
Her name is rose
Anticipation of beautiful futures
–
It’s nearly impossible to pick a winner when so much beauty abounds. Peonies and daisies, sunflowers and nasturtiums and so many others will write the poetry of nature this spring.
We are down to our final five contestants. As they parade through the gardens announcing the arrival and departure of the season of hope, let’s take a look once more at the top five. Will it be rose in her royal finery? Will it be the more delicate daffodil? The breathtaking rhodie? The surprising crocus? Or perhaps the timeless tulip. As they make their appearances in succession over the coming months you can choose a favorite or you can love them all. Enjoy!!
There we have it folks. Let’s have these lovely ladies take a final bow as we await the judges decision -which of these will be crowned and win Spring’s Annual Beauty Pageant?
©Belindabotzong2018
